Impacted Souls
by ZRO4825
Summary: A couple years after Saffron's defeat, Second Impact occurred. Now several years later, a more mature Ranma deals with a vastly changed world.
1. Child of Imprisonment

Chapter 01

Child of Imprisonment

_ If you must, shed no tears for me  
><em>_Cry for those too blind to see  
><em>_Crimes commited in the name of their own  
><em>_Seeing not themselves if the mirror they're shown_

Makoto could only wrap her arms around her stomach, knowing that the child within wasn't to blame for anything. Tears fell from her eyes as she rocked herself slightly, waiting for an opportunity to get out of here. She remotely heard a scuffle down the hall, and hunkered further against her wall.

"_Probably another guard had a bad day and is getting ready to take it out on one of us girls. Can't let the child suffer because of these assholes,_" She thought despondently.

She started as the door suddenly opened. A black-haired young man with piercing blue eyes looked back at her from under a cloak.

"Who are you?" Mako asked, her eyes hard and resolute, even as a corner of her mind screamed, fearful of ending up in the hands of just another enemy.

"Name's Saotome Ranma. Don't worry, we're getting you out of this hell-hole." The man responded as he reached down and picked her up, his arms flashing out and snapping the chains that held her easily. Fear quickly became shock and surprise, and Makoto fainted.

* * *

><p>"Who is she, Ranma?" Kasumi asked as she checked the girl over.<p>

"Her name is Kino Makoto. Apparently was the undisputed winner in a few local martial arts tournaments since the impact," Ranma paced by the door, his hands clasped behind is back. "Can't believe those places are _still_ popping up after this long.."

"It's only been a few years since the impact. Humankind sadly always seems to show it's worst sides fastest when it comes to recovery. And it's not as if you haven't dealt with these places already."

"Yeah, but to create yet another place where they were using the girls as nothing more than breeding fodder? And this one was obviously sanctioned, not just some folks gathered up and randomly doing it. There was too much money involved. Someone deliberately supported this one. I wish Cologne was here, one word of this to her and the place would've been flattened, no questions asked."

"Yes, but she's not able to help us anymore. Be thankful she taught you what she did before she was forced to return to Joketsuzoku. They had their own problems to deal with after the impact." Kasumi said, a slight smile forming the more she cleaned the girl up.

"Don't get me wrong Kasumi, I am thankful for that. She just has more of a killer instinct than I do. Places like that _deserve_ to be treated the way the Amazons look at things. It's all I can do to hold to my code when I'm taking them down."

"Were you able to rescue anyone else from that place? Or would you be able to?"

"I probably could, but she was in the most immediate danger, and there's something else about her that I can't quite pin down, an extra touch to her aura that told me she needed to be brought out of there . Besides, from what I could tell, that place had connections. I couldn't quite figure out if it was Yakuza, or government perhaps, but I didn't like the vibe I was getting, so I got her and got the hell out."

"It's good that the Tendo home survived the impact then. As 'back-water' as we look compared to most of the city now, we get overlooked a lot." Kasumi responded, smiling even more as she continued to check over the girl's injuries. "I really don't understand how they could treat people so cruelly. Even if they _were_ just using the women there as breeding stock, why would they be so harsh?"

"To keep them from fighting back. While I was there that was one thing I did notice. All of the women, other than her, have been beaten into submission, on top of the usual. They cringe back when a shadow passes their door. The other places didn't bother with that, just mentally broke them with the constant abuse. Hell, there were chains on her because they apparently couldn't manage to break her mind, and trying to beat her into submission probably cost them a few men's health. This place, it was a lot bigger, and didn't rely just on mentally breaking them. Certainly explains where some of the missing people reports came from here lately. I had a feeling there had been a surge of them on the news."

"You don't think that perhaps Akane was taken by one of these places, do you?"

"No...much as I want to say otherwise, I know Akane's gone. The day of the impact, she was with that expedition to the pole. These places didn't start to crop up till after that event. Besides, I'm sure you felt it as well as close as you were to her. It was like a spot in my heart just kinda...disappeared." Ranma said, blinking back a tear he hadn't realized had formed.

"You're...right. I keep hoping maybe I was wrong, but if you felt it as well, then perhaps it's best I accept it. I...suppose I could have saved myself the false hope if we'd talked about it before." Kasumi's smile faltered as she looked down into her lap for a moment, a few tears falling before she set herself once more. "She's actually not as injured as it may have looked. Mostly just exhausted, a few bumps and bruises, perhaps some muscle deterioration, but other than that she's fine. I'm honestly surprised considering the circumstances."

"It's probably the exhaustion is the only reason she ever ended up there to begin with. Perhaps drugs. She's got the conditioning of a seasoned martial artist, even if nowhere on my level or even Shampoo or Ukyo's. But we're also a pretty select bunch I'd say, so it's not fair to hold normal people to our standards." Ranma commented from his spot near the door of the guest room, his arms crossed.

"You're going to allow her to stay here?"

"I don't really see it as a choice, Kasumi. I had Nabiki do some research. She has no immediately family, lived in Juuban on her own, has a small circle of friends, whom Nabiki said she's going to contact. She's been listed as missing for around eight months, I'm guessing two of that was before they finally managed to subdue her long enough to actually impregnate her. When I _do_ go back to that place, I'm making sure _no one_ leaves with their balls intact." Ranma swore as he stood away from the wall, visibly building his battle aura, the area around him frosting over.

"Ranma," Kasumi admonished. "You need to calm down, it won't do her any good to catch a cold in her condition."

"Yes, Kasumi," Ranma answered, the Soul of Ice quickly evaporating from around him as he grinned sheepishly. "But like I was saying, she's here as far as I'm concerned at least until the kid is born, longer if need be. No one deserves to be treated like she did. And I won't change how this house works. Mr. Tendo may have entrusted it to me, but far as I'm concerned, it's still _your_ home. That's why we've got Tofu moved in here instead of you moving in with him. I'm just glad he finally got his feelings under control so you two were able to get together."

"Oh? And who was it that took almost a full year after the fight on Mount Horai to admit his feelings for my little sister?" Kasumi grinned.

"Some baka of a martial artist, I'm sure," Ranma responded, walking over to the window and poking his head out to check the darkening sky. He looked up just in time to get hit with the first wave of a sudden downpour. "Well I was _going _to say that it looks like we're gonna get stormed on here in a few, but apparently the weather beat me to it."

Kasumi giggled as Ranma irritably shook her shirt off her shoulders.

"Well, at least some things never change." She said with minor aggitation. "Be back in a few minutes, if I'm gonna be female for the day, I guess I'd better dress appropriately. The rain's supposed to last a few hours anyway, so wouldn't even be worth trying to stay male for now."

Kasumi went back to watching over their new guest as the rain poured down. She was surprised as the girl began to wake up a few moments later.

"Oh my, must be true what they say about even weaker martial artists recovering faster," Kasumi murmured as the girl began to push herself up, only to be politely pushed back down by Kasumi. "Please, don't, you mustn't exert yourself."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" she asked weakly.

"My name is Ono Kasumi. Ranma brought you here after he drug you out of that horrible place you were in."

"Ranma? Oh, right, that guy in my dream. This is just another dream, too, isn't it?" Mako asked morosely.

"Oh my, no, I'm afraid it's not. I wish I could say the months you've had leading up to here were a nightmare, but for now at least, you're safe. No one here will do anything like that to you. My husband has no need to do so, and Ranma...well, Ranma I don't think could ever bring himself to be like that even if he wanted to, and Akane would never forgive him anyway. On top of that, to do such a thing would be a rather large trespass on his code I think." Kasumi rambled on slightly as she squeezed the water out of a damp cloth and pressed it back on the girl's forehead. She smiled gently at her patient. "Now, do me a favor and stay here please while I go get you some food, okay? And perk up, those green eyes of yours will look a lot prettier if we can wipe that sullen look off your face."

Makoto could only nod and blush slightly as the girl got up and swiftly moved out the door and down the hall. Another girl with long red hair pulled back into a single braided tail stuck her head in the door and bounced into the room, dressed in a chinese dress, with a pair of tight pants on under it. "Oh, good, you're awake, I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you," the redhead rambled off enthusiastically, bouncing constantly on the balls of her feet. "How're you feelin'?"

"I've...been better." Makoto responded slowly, her eyes slightly wide. "You remind me of my friend Usagi. She's always bubbly and hyper like that."

"Oh, nah, I'm not normally that hyper, I'm just glad to see you're awake," the girl responded, her blue eyes darkening momentarily. "I'm always glad to see someone's alright when I manage to pull'em out of a bad situation. Makes the hell my life has been seem a little more worth it when I get to see the results of what my training's made me capable of."

"I...see," Makoto reponded slowly again, trying to take it all in. "So, who are you then?"

"Oops, forgot, you haven't seen me in this form before, I'm Saotome Ranma. Be right back a sec, I can explain it a bit better." Ranma spun on her feet and quickly ran out of the room.

"_So much energy, far more than she's letting to the surface. But there's an almost palpable sensation of loss that emanates from her,_" Makoto thought to herself as she watched the tails of the dress dissappear through the doorway. Kasumi reappeared through it before Ranma, and sat a tray down. Kasumi smiled at her then helped her sit up on the edge of the bed. "Thank you, Ono-san."

"Oh my, no need to be so formal with me, please, just call me Kasumi. Ranma looked like he'd be back in a moment, I'm assuming he's getting ready to explain the curse to you, since he was running downstairs," Kasumi kept smiling as she handed Makoto the tray. "Eat up, while you don't look malnourished, you seemed to be exhausted when Ranma brought you back. We'll need to fix that. A few days should have you up and about a bit more"

"Okay, I'm back," Ranma announced as she walked back into the room. She sat back down, a couple glasses of water with her. "Alrighty, before I even start explaining this, I have to ask, how much of a believer in magic are you?"

"I know it exists," Makoto answered straight away, though she did arch an eyebrow in the redhead's direction.

"Thank Kami, finally someone doesn't just flat-out refuse it," Ranma muttered, looking up at the ceiling. "Sorry, I've just had to deal with a lot of people with no belief in it over the years, and it's gotten kind of old. But, to make a long story short, I stumbled across a training ground in China a few years back-"

"And by stumbled he means he was drug there by his father," Kasumi interrupted, grinning.

"Eh, I didn't listen to the guide either Ka-chan, so I can't really let all of the blame fall on him. Besides, I think he made his amends for most of his mistakes. But anyway, the training grounds are essentially a series of pools, with a bunch of bamboo poles situated amongst them. Sounds fairly excusable, if a bit old-fashioned, pools are there to break your fall if you drop, or so one would think. Bad side to all of it, and what Pops and I fell prey to, is that the pools are all cursed. You fall in one, you take on the physical form of whatever drowned there last. Some are a bit more specific than others, some aren't very damned specific at all. If you drown there, the pool takes on your attributes instead. Well, long story short, Pops and I jumped up on the poles right away, didn't listen to the guide one bit, stubborn as Pops was, and me being no better at listening at the time. So we fight back and forth, I finally tag Pops a good one and he goes crashing down into the pools. I'm up there gloating, and next thing I know, a giant panda comes roaring back up out of the water, and takes up my father's stance on the poles. So, I'm freaked out, standing there asking the guide what the hell is going on, and then the panda knocks me into a pool. I came back up out of the water looking like you see now. Well...a few years younger actually back then, but not much has changed." Ranma smirked slightly.

"That's not true, Ranma," Kasumi replied. "You've got a nice set of legs now to go with your bust, and the rest of you finally grew a little taller too."

"Gee, thanks, Kasumi, I love when you flatter my girl side," Ranma responded, rolling her eyes, but grinning all the while. She looked Makoto in the eyes and sat her chin on her clasped hands. "The form I was in when I got you out of that place is my true form. This is my cursed form. Any questions?"

"How do you change back and forth?" Makoto asked, her eyes slightly wide.

"I'll go ahead and show you, since you don't look nearly as wild-eyed as many of my audiences. I had to judge how well you'd take it before I showed you, since Kasumi would kill me I think if I caused your child any harm by stressing you out." Ranma picked up one of the glasses next to her as Kasumi giggled, before splashing herself. "Hot water guy, cold water girl."

Makoto's eyes went a bit wider as the girl in front of her shifted into the form of the young man who had rescued her. Then she blinked and cocked her head to the side. "You weren't kidding at all, were you? And how are your clothes still fitting on you?"

Ranma shook his head, dripping water a little bit as he did so. He grinned, "Nope, not kidding one bit. As to the clothes, that's all Kasumi and an old friend. On my female form, it's long enough to just look like any other Chinese dress, but she managed to thread it long enough so that it stretches out with my male form's size and it just ends up looking like a more formal Chinese shirt with long tails. The pants are just spandex, though it took me _forever_ to find the size that actually shrunk down to fit my girl form like they do without constricting my blood flow as a guy." Ranma reached over and casually threw the other glass of water on his head and then toweled herself off quickly, handing the two glasses back to Kasumi who walked out and back down the stairs.

"Now, I know you're probably wondering why I got ya out of there, how I even knew you were there, and why you weren't brought out sooner." Ranma started.

"Well...yes, that would be a good place to start I guess," Makoto answered, blinking again as Ranma's forwardness caught her off-guard.

"Sorry, just trying to be thorough. Most of the girls I've rescued from those kinds of places I just take back to their families, and explain what happened to them. You didn't have any family, and the place you were in was a lot tighter on security than any of the others I've ransacked. The place you were in is what I've taken to calling a breeding ground. Kind of disgusting, but it's the best way I could think of to describe the place. Basically, they gather up a bunch of girls, based on what criteria I haven't figured out, and then aim to get them all pregnant. Ever since the impact I've seen it all over the country. Mostly seems to be older folks who think the impact is some sort of catastrophy sent from the gods and that if we want Japan's blood to remain pure we have to have as many more kids as fast as possible. I think it's some sort of cult honestly, I think that's what the news said too, but I can't tell for sure. Most of'em are just family ancestral homes that've been locked down a bit and pretty much put a girl to a room. Those I'm able to break down all their security and get all the girls out inside the space of a single night."

"Wait...by yourself?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, I'm somewhat of a martial arts prodigy, or at least everyone else says so. I'm the best, that's all I know." Ranma smirked.

"And only slightly arrogant about it," Makoto responded without thinking, immediately clamping her hands over her mouth and blushing. "Sorry Saotome-san, that was rude of me." Ranma merely waved her hand, smiling and chuckling.

"Don't worry 'bout the formalities, or the comment. I'm the king of putting my foot in my mouth, and I've been called arrogant many many times. I was also always told that it's only arrogance if you can't back it up. Since I tend to back it up, I prefer to think of it as confidence." Ranma waved a hand in front of her and produced a ball of light on top of it. "Not too many martial artists can do this with their ki. We seem to be a fairly small circle of people, even if many more can actually use their ki, they can't seem to project it as pure energy."

Makoto stared at the small ball of light. "By Kami what a youma could do with the energy you have," she said in awe.

"Youma? As in the type of monster Sailor Moon and her friends fight?" Ranma asked, allowing the ball to dissipate harmlessly.

"You know of them?"

"I've been helping them out at every turn I can, and in exchange they've been helping me. They've got one girl who's really good with computers, has been able to pinpoint each of the breeding grounds soon after they get started. They've been down a member lately though I've noticed, at least compared to the reports of them fighting before the impact. There weren't any youma attacks for a while after it, then when they started showing back up, the Senshi were down a person. They've never really explained it to me." Ranma explained as Kasumi walked back in with another tray for Ranma and some tea for both of them. "Thank you, Kasumi. I'll keep her company for a bit if you need to go take care of some stuff. Tofu said something about a late afternoon compared to usual down at the clinic I think?"

"Thank you, Ranma. Tofu did say he'd be late, so I was going to run him over some lunch." Kasumi smiled brightly at her as she walked back out the door. As Ranma began eating her meal, she seemed to cock her head to one side, then set her bowl down.

"Ahh, good, she's off the grounds now." Ranma almost primly folded her hands in her lap. "Now, Miss Jupiter, time to really explain what's going on."

Mako gasped, dropping her chopsticks. "How?"

"I took a good guess, mostly. I did see the pictures and videos of you girls from before the impact, although I never really had much to do with you at the time, since for some reason the youma were all centered on Juuban. I had no reason to get involved, and I had my own issues to deal with at the time honestly. On top of that, after the impact, the youma attacks finally came back in full force after you disappeared. They were everywhere, sometimes two or three times inside a week. Nerima, Juuban, every ward seemed to end up with'em. We don't know who or what's behind'em, Mercury hasn't been able to pin'em down, and even Pluto wasn't able to give us any more information than we had. Said something about the timestream being clouded. So the girls changed their focus. They wanted to find you instead. I'm the only one who knows you're Sailor Jupiter, other than your friends. And like I said, I was guessing mostly."

"Then do you know how to get ahold of the others?"

"If you mean directly? No, not without raising suspicions. But, we have another girl here in the house, well, she's out and about town right now, but she lives here, her name is Nabiki. She's _very_ good at tracking down information. I brought you back, within a few hours, she had tracked down your address, family, and friends. She's supposed to be getting ahold of them this afternoon. Four girls, who I'm guessing, happen to be the other main four Senshi. Tsukino Usagi, I'm guessing is Sailor Moon. Apparently well known for being a bit of a klutz, which would fit with what I've seen of her during fights as well. Mizuno Ami, which would be Mercury, she's just too damned smart to be anyone else. Hino Rei, a fire-maiden at a local shrine which managed to miraculously survive the impact, and I'm guessing Sailor Mars. And Aino Minako, which would only be Sailor Venus."

"But, how did you figure it all out?" Makoto asked again as she managed to get back to eating her meal.

"Couple reasons, first being I'm not nearly as dumb as people like to think I am. But mostly because there's a few key things I learned to watch for. Personality being one of them. You and your friends tend to somewhat wear your hearts on your sleeves, as the saying goes. Not that I'm any better at times, but I can bluff when I need to. Also, not a one of you changes your hair or skin tones, even if that spell or whatever does make me unable to completely focus on your faces. So instead I learned to check for matching hairstyles and colorations. Usagi-san _really_ is easy to pick out cuz of those twin ponytails she wears." Ranma went back to eating as she continued. "Anyway, since I wasn't able to figure out a way to get ahold of them without raising either their suspicions, or without clueing someone else in on who they are, and you are, I decided I'm just going to have to let Nabiki's information be used. I'm sure they'll recognize me as is when they show up, but I don't think they've realized I know them all in either form. I have no intentions of letting anyone else know who you ladies are, since I pretty much agree with everything you fight for. In any case, Nabiki said she'd get ahold of your friends once you woke up and were feeling up to it. I know that's gonna be kind of emotional for you, and again, Kasumi would kill me if you or the kid were put under undue stress."

"Thank you very much," Makoto said, bowing slightly, then giggling as she realized she really couldn't bow any further without trying to roll over her belly. She absent-mindedly poked it and sighed. "Sooooo in the way!"

Ranma laughed whole heartedly. "I'm just glad you seem to be taking that in stride. Some of the girls I've rescued were...well, they were a bit distraught to say the least. I somehow got blamed for it by around a quarter of them, though I think that was just the parents being in shock and not really knowing who or what to blame for anything. Fortunately they all seemed to back off after I pointed out that I brought their daughters back to them. That'd be the last thing I need is another fiancee situation. Been there, done that, was part of the t-shirt. Bleh!"

"Wait, fiancee situation?" Makoto asked. "Why do I get the feeling your training grounds aren't the only interesting story in your life?"

Ranma started laughing again. "Tell you what, since it'll take your friends a while to get here anyway, why don't I go ahead and fill ya in, if nothing else, my life is worth a few hours entertainment. If it's not, then I'm tellin the story wrong."

* * *

><p>Makoto could hardly believe half the tales she'd heard as Ranma related pieces of her life.<p>

"So, you end up with two women engaged to you from your idiot of a father, one engaged to you through your own mistakes, and a fourth engaged to you by her own dementia. And I thought my life had been a rollercoaster ride." She remarked, causing Ranma to chuckle again.

"I told you it was worth a few hours of entertainment," the redhead replied from her spot on the floor. She quickly rolled back before flipping up to her feet, wobbling for a moment as she landed before unceremoniously ending up back on her rear. "Gah, traitorous legs, didn't wake up with the rest of me."

Makoto giggled from her spot on the bed, one hand to her face, Ranma shaking her fist in mock anger as she walked out the door and went down the stairs. Kasumi walked in past her.

"Check-up time," Kasumi said cheerily. She brought out a thermometer which Mako scowled at momentarily before opening her mouth and letting Kasumi put it under her tongue. "Not feeling light-headed or sick to your stomach or anything?"

"No, ma'am." Makoto replied.

"Good, let us know if you end up with any problems. Ranma rescued you from that place, but as far as he's concerned, you're still under his care. That means you let me or him know if there are any problems." Kasumi took the thermometer back and shook it lightly before wiping it off.

"It's alright, you all don't need to go to that length for me. I can just go back to my apartment. I'll be all right." Makoto replied.

"Actually, Miss Kino, that won't be possible," another girl answered, walking through the door, every inch the businesswoman. Though the length was longer, Nabiki's page-boy haircut still remained. Her black suit was of perhaps not quite the best quality, but then her clients today hadn't been worth that kind of money either.

"Oh, Nabiki, I didn't realize you'd come home already. How was your day?" Kasumi asked.

"Honestly? I think I had more fun back at Furinkan yankin Kuno's chain. At least he was entertaining _and_ profitable. These people these days are just no fun at all. Plenty of profit though. And sorry for my interruption, Miss Kino, I'm Tendo Nabiki. I'm Ranma and Kasumi's sister."

"That's not completely true, Ranma's not our brother," Kasumi interjected, seeming almost uncertain.

"Oh don't even try that, Kasumi. He's as much our brother if not more-so than he would've been if he and Akane had actually gotten married before she went on that expedition. As I was saying though, your apartment got kinda demolished while you were gone. A youma attack in that area left it's foundations torn apart. The Sailor Senshi did everything they could to avoid the damage, I know that for a fact, Ranma was with them for that fight. Damage ended up being more severe as the construction workers looked harder at it, turns out the building would've had to be torn down within a few years anyway. With the way the government has been pushing to rebuild everything in Tokyo, it's no surprise it got tore down. A new apartment complex has been going up in it's place, they're demolishing the old wards names, all sorts of new skyscrapers are going in, all sorts of fall-out bunkers. It's like they're preparing Tokyo for the next World War or something perhaps even worse. Which reminds me, Sis, you and Ranma might need to go back to City Council and point out to them exactly why our bills are paid for by the government. Had a few of them were trying to put pressure on me again today, trying to leverage some sort of extra tax out of us because they write off our utilities. Nevermind that we still use less resources than most of their newer apartments. Apparently Daddy's name is becoming less well-known now that the Council seats are starting to change hands. It's must be time to remind them just who's name is on that contract."

"I see. Well, we'll just have to deal with that, won't we?" Kasumi's voice held an unusual edge to it.

"So...my apartment is gone then?" Makoto queried, before the girls could devolve into further discussion.

"Yeah, afraid so. Your friends from over in the Juuban ward managed to salvage your stuff though. I was fortunate enough to get the contractors to hold off on demolishing the place long enough to let people get their stuff out. I'm known for being somewhat ruthless, but these guys for some reason _really_ wanted to tear that place down. It's almost as if they were getting pressured to bring it down as soon as possible. Only thing I can think of is for some reason government officials wanted it brought down. Other than that your friends managed to get your stuff, I don't have any more information on it unfortunately. When you're ready, let me know and I can give them a call, let them know you're here. I imagine they've been worried sick about you." Makoto nodded her gratitude, tears forming in her eyes as Nabiki walked out of the room, Kasumi patting her on the shoulder before walking out as well.

"All right, Kasumi, spill, what's the deal with this one?" Nabiki asked as soon as they were around the corner of the hall. "Ranma rescuing girls from the breeding grounds, even pregnant ones, is nothing new. Ranma bringing one back here to the house for more than just a small exam and some minor medical care, that is another story entirely. What's making this one so different?"

"I'm...not entirely sure, Nabiki. There _is_ something different about her though, I'm sure of it. She's the first one I'm aware of who didn't come back out screaming in terror. When Ranma stopped by with the few of the girls he's rescued before, all of them that I've checked have had that lost and broken look to them. She's the first one I've seen who was nowhere near broken. Scared, yes, but not broken one bit." Kasumi brought one hand up to her chin. "Perhaps he sees some of Akane's spirit in her. I'm honestly not sure. She seems to be a very respectful girl, and also mostly cheerful, if somewhat subdued at the moment due to circumstances, and perhaps due to hormones as well."

"Do you think it's due to her living arrangements? She used to live by herself. Considering what he just brought her back out of, and Ranma's own admission that this place seemed to be a higher scale operation than what he normally sees, perhaps he's just keeping her here to guard her?" Nabiki replied, one hand on her hip, the other on her head, scratching lightly in confusion. "I hate to say it, but I wish Akane were here. She could read people like an open book there those last couple years, even better than I could. Made making money off of her a lot harder, but _so_ much more fun. She'd know in an instant what Ranma was doing. You don't think perhaps he's trying to move on finally, do you?"

"No...I don't think Ranma would specifically try to move on. He's not one to be like that I don't think. I think, perhaps, his grief could be looked at as a waterfall in the course of a river. He'll stand in it for as long as he needs to, and then, when he has decided to move to the next piece of the river, then he'll merely step forward out of it." Kasumi replied as she moved around the kitchen.

"Shame, that." Nabiki replied, fixing herself a small cup of tea. "He could use some more happiness in his life. All those years of abuse from his father on the road, then the hell that his life was after he came here. When he and Akane finally opened up there, I don't think I've ever seen anyone happier than he was." Kasumi reached over and quickly wiped an errant tear from the younger sister's face.

"Allergies seem to be acting up a bit there, Na-chan." Kasumi grinned lightly at her, as Nabiki sniffed lightly.

"Yeah, damned things. Always make my make-up look horrible too." Nabiki replied, smirking slightly.

"She may be good for him in the long run though, regardless of the end result. I actually heard him laugh earlier, and not just that faked short bark of a laugh he's been using either," Kasumi said smoothly while stirring the soup she had set for dinner, reaching out quickly and catching the teacup as Nabiki's hands suddenly dropped it. She lifted it back to eye level as a stunned Nabiki turned towards her. The cup was gently pressed back into Nabiki's hands. "You dropped this."

"He...was actually laughing? He hasn't laughed since the news of the impact came back!" Nabiki started to slump slightly as Kasumi quickly wrapped an arm around her.

"Come on, little sis. Get your act together." Kasumi admonished her lightly as she held the girl up. "I'm sincerely hoping you don't shock this easily on the job."

"Why, you!" Nabiki sputtered as she finally snapped out of it, glaring daggers at her sister who innocently went back to cooking. "Ugh, I wish I could hate you for that, but that was just the wake-up call I needed for a moment there, thanks. So we just let things continue on then?"

"It seems for the best. After all, you know how well Ranma reponded to our fathers meddling in his life. Besides, we both know that we don't know how to handle Ranma all the time. Especially since we lost Akane. He's been so pensive, so bottled up compared to how he used to be. But today, he actually laughed, and told someone his story a little bit. He left out the worse parts, but I haven't heard him explain things about his life to anyone else he's brought out of those places. If he is moving on, then it's best we let him. Akane I'm sure is watching over him. She wouldn't wish for him to suffer overly long because of her absence." Kasumi explained as she went about setting the table. "If you could let them know that dinner's ready, Ranma can help Miss Kino down here. She seemed well enough to be up and moving, and will probably be grateful to do so."

* * *

><p>"Your sisters seem to be very caring individuals," Makoto said as Ranma walked back in after the other two girls had gone downstairs.<p>

"Well, Nabiki doesn't show it as well as Kasumi does. But she's got the same heart of gold that Kasumi's known for, she's just a bit more selective who she let's into it. Kasumi on the other hand, is a freakin' saint. I don't think I've _ever_ seen her say even a harsh word to anyone who wasn't an absolute ass to her or the family. Well, except for that one guy, but he made the mistake of insulting the entire family in one shot. Never knew Kasumi for a knife thrower till that day. Was the first time I got clued in that she was still as good as Akane in the Art, possibly better. Hid it very well though. Still can't tell to this day, but there's just no way she accidentally pinned the guy to the wall with twenty different knives and managed to make sure three of them ended up just below his crotch with the blade side up." Ranma rubbed the side of her head as she recounted the incident. Makoto on the other hand was giggling madly. "I'm not kidding! I can't remember what he said, I think something along the lines of trying to make mistresses of the whole house, which included me cuz I happened to be in girl form that night, and next thing I know, Kasumi's arm is straight out, and that guy was pinned to the wall, three knives holding up each sleeve, two on each side of his ribs, three on each leg, one just above his skull, and three of them ready to un-man him if he so much as twitched wrong."

"Oh, you're talking about that one sleazeball from the City Council that night, when he came over to talk to Daddy about something. Ichigoya, I think?" Nabiki supplied as she rounded the door, giggling herself. Makoto was laughing and holding her sides by this point, Ranma starting to giggle as well. "Idiot made the mistake of suggesting that our father had taken on four lovely young ladies as his mistresses. Apparently it never occurred to him that perhaps Daddy had daughters. Kasumi did a number on him. When he left, he was walking pretty gingerly, and I'm sure all but those specific three knives had left at least a small cut. I've never seen her so mad. Ranma and Akane were just registering the insult and both were starting to light up with their battle auras, I'd only been paying enough attention to catch what was said and was still filing it as an insult myself, and then Kasumi just let's all the knives fly. Took him I think all of around ten seconds before he started crying, and another thirty before he was apologizing very loudly. Ranma finally pulled the knives out enough so that he dropped without any more injury, and he was face-down on the floor faster than even Mr. Saotome could have managed. And believe me, Ranma can tell you too, Panda Pops could hit the ground and beg for his life in record time."

"Yup, spine of an earthworm, that's my Pops. Speaking of which, been any new word from him lately, Nabiki?" Ranma asked, as Makoto sat back up, then put both hands to her stomach, her face wincing slightly. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Makoto replied, giggling again. "I think I just got told not to laugh so hard is all."

"No word from the panda yet, Ranma, knowing him he's running from his latest idiocy, with Auntie Nodoka hot on his trail. Oh, and the real reason I came up here, Kasumi told me to let you know dinner is ready, and you're to join us Miss Kino."

"Please, just Makoto. No need for formalities with me," Makoto replied, swinging her legs out from under the blankets and stepping gingerly down. Her face took on a note of irritation. "Now to see if I still remember how to walk properly after being in that damned place."

"At least Kasumi went for the only person in the house who's clothes would still you fit you in your condition. Although the sweater caught me off-guard. She must have changed the hem on it, I don't remember having one that long in the house before." Nabiki remarked.

"Well, I know she said the green silk pants were Ranma's from back before he got his current setup, but he never wore them." Makoto replied, steadying herself as she moved the rest of the blankets back onto the bed. Ranma suddenly appeared beside her, helping steady her.

"Of course I didn't. Green doesn't go well with my male form's hair color. At least not for the pants." Ranma replied, rolling her eyes a little, smirking once again, causing a light laugh from Nabiki as she went around the door and down the hall. Ranma sighed exaggeratedly. "Why does everyone laugh when I say that?"

"Because you're a guy turned girl who shouldn't give a crap whether his pants match his hair?" Makoto supplied helpfully as she leaned further on Ranma. "Sorry, legs are feeling a bit more wobbly than I care to admit."

"It's alright, I figured your muscles might be a little weakened from the time spent in that damned place. They're not exactly known for their exercise routines." Ranma replied. "Besides, I have to make sure you don't over-exert yourself for a few days."

"Got plenty of exercise, just none of it the right kind," Makoto muttered under her breath acidly. Ranma gently patted her back as Makoto began mumbling an apology.

"Believe me, you got plenty of reason to be mad about it, and I don't blame ya for that one bit. You're already ahead if most of the girls I've brought out by having enough of a sense of humor to make even that kind of sarcastic response. If you feel the need to talk to someone, Kasumi tends to be an excellent shoulder to lean on. Nabiki can be too, but only after she's gotten used to you enough, otherwise she tends to put up that iron business wall she uses when she's working." Ranma replied evenly as she helped Makoto to the top of the stairs. She reached down and deftly swept up the taller girl in one motion, eliciting a slight yelp from the brunette. "Up ya go, we'll let ya try the stairs after your legs have got a bit of strength back in'em, I'll carry ya up and down'em in the meantime."

"You didn't mention yourself as someone to talk to. Why is that?" Makoto asked as Ranma effortlessly trudged down the stairs.

"Couple reasons. Most people tend to question my motives, no matter which gender they are, since I can be either one. Another being that I guess most people think since I'm an obscenely overpowered martial artist, I have no idea how to help with matters of the mind or heart. Nevermind that that used to be the case. I grew up a bit over the last few years, but that still tends to color their opinions. I've had time to think over my life, and in retrospect, if I'd done so sooner, perhaps things wouldn't have been quite so hard to handle. But that's a different conversation altogether. Doc, that is Tofu, is also a good listener if ya need someone too. A good number of people don't really mind confiding in him, being a doctor and all." Ranma let Makoto's feet swing back to the floor gently as she reached the bottom of the stairs, still staying near in case the taller girl swayed. Makoto felt almost proud to reach the table on her own, though her legs finally did give out on her as she tried to sit down, Ranma being close enough to catch her again. "Told ya not to over do it, silly."

Ranma chuckled as Makoto maturely stuck her tongue out at her. As the dinner was passed out, the front door could be heard opening, Tofu appearing around the corner shortly after and taking his seat next to Kasumi. He sat down kinda hard, groaning lightly. Kasumi immediately leaned over and kissed him.

"You look like a small piece of hell warmed over, Doc," Ranma remarked around bites of food. "I know you were pulling a late afternoon, but I didn't think you were actually gonna be working harder."

"Nor did I, but unfortunately there was another youma attack near the clinic. I had a lot of patients to look after suddenly. On a good note, none were hurt any more severely than some bumps and bruises. The Senshi got there even faster than usual. Thanks to that no one was hurt, other than by some random debris scattering from attacks and such. I think I managed to deflect most of that from innocents." Tofu sighed wearily.

"Good job, Doc," Ranma replied, her eyes hardening slightly. "Good thing the Senshi were nearby then, but I'm a bit irritated with myself that I didn't sense it. I don't usually miss them."

"Something was different about this one. I almost didn't sense it myself, and it was right outside the clinic almost. They seem to be changing slightly over the course of the last few attacks. I've always been able to detect them, but they were always too far away for me to truly do anything about till recently. But now they're changing. I'd say whatever force is behind them now is adapting them, trying to conceal their presence." Tofu supplied Ranma with the information he knew he'd get asked for anyway, as the food quickly began to restore some of his ki.

"Great," Ranma said, running her hand through her hair lightly. "That's not good news. On the other hand, that latest breeding ground, it's a whole lotta different from the ones before."

"Oh?" Tofu responded, glancing up over the edge of his glasses. "I'm assuming the young lady with us is another rescue?"

"Yeah, I got her out last night, but I had to get out with her before I was spotted. This one, the security was loads different. Men armed with rifles, a few cameras here and there, even an attempt at actually hiding entrances, barbed wire in strategic spots, the girls' names on the doors. Umi-Ken-Sen is the only thing allowing me in there as easily as I managed. They had patrols through the halls, two men in each patrol. Was almost military precision." Ranma rambled on, folding her hands under her chin. "That's what I don't like about this one. It felt like it had some sort of official backing to it. Either that or crime syndicate, but the men all appeared to be too well trained for that. I don't think they'll bother trying to search for Makoto, she's listed as missing currently, so to openly search for her would just raise suspicions even more as to why government and/or military personnel would just now be looking for her, and on top of that they know better than to try anything near this home if they value the lives of their men in any way, shape, or fashion."

"I'm fairly sure all the governments nearby know better than to try anything with this house. Especially after Mount Horai. You blew the top off of a mountain, most of their technology is still trying to produce those kinds of results," Tofu replied. "So you're intending for her to stay here?"

"No real option to it, Doc, I got her out of there, and I'll see that through to the end. She's got nowhere else to go, and I honestly wouldn't feel right letting her go just yet anyway, not till I manage to demolish that breeding ground completely, and make sure they have no records to follow her with." Ranma answered, the table near her starting to frost over.

"Ranma, you're freezing the table again," Kasumi politely commented, giggling as Ranma looked down and sheepishly hung her head again.

"Sorry!" Ranma yelped out, clapping her hands together over her head. Makoto merely stared at the table as the frost dissipated quickly. "Uhhh...you okay, Makoto?"

"How'd you do that? That was cool!" Nabiki and Tofu both face-faulted, Kasumi content to merely giggle at the girl's unintentional pun, while Ranma's face perked up immediately.

"It's a technique I learned from the Chinese Amazons, it allows me to focus my battle aura instead into one that keeps my own emotions under control, and once it's mastered, it allows one to cause the air around themselves to chill, effectively slowing the opponent if they're not good enough to ward off the cold with their own ki. Cologne _did_ mention I was one of the few she's seen learn the technique to where it became an actual part of my emotions though. And apparently I'm the first to cause frost to appear near me." Ranma's brows furrowed in concentration. "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to teach it to non-Amazons or not, I'll have to send her a letter and find out. Hopefully she's still alive and kicking. Who am I kidding? She'll be alive longer than me probably, freakin old mummy."

"That's amazing," Makoto finally responded, going back to eating her dinner as Ranma did.

"If you'd like, I can work on teaching you some of what I know, but I'd have to find out just how good you really are, and we won't be able to check that for sure till after you've had the kid. Till then though, I can probably teach you some of the more basic Tai Chi katas. They're not meant to be the high-impact types anyway." Ranma commented between bites. Nabiki arched an eyebrow at the scene for just a moment before receiving a small glare from Kasumi.

Kasumi had retired to the kitchen to clean up the dishes while Nabiki had moved to in front of the TV to watch the evening news. Tofu was out in the yard doing his own exercises for the evening, Ranma joining him. Makoto had taken up residence on the porch, watching the two of them, her eyes trying to memorize the patterns, fuming mentally against her body's current lack of energy.

"Here," she heard from behind her, turning to find Kasumi holding out a small cushion. "Lie down for a bit, you're looking far too tense for just sitting there." Makoto started to protest but ran into what Ranma had once nicknamed the Kasumi Effect.

"Okay, you win." Makoto said, pouting slightly as she turned and laid out to her side, still watching Ranma and Tofu, only to find the two now having a stand-off. Kasumi threw a blanket over her lightly before going back to her dishes.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on, Doc, you would've wiped the floor with me back when I was in school, what happened?" Ranma said, an almost feral grin on her face.<p>

"Four or five years and a whole lot of training is what happened. Hope I'm not too much of a disappointment to you," Tofu answered before the two dashed in on the attack. Kasumi gasped, watching as Tofu flowed around Ranma's attacks. Makoto blinked as suddenly Ranma hit the ground hard, breath whooshing from her lungs as she impacted. She got up slowly, panting hard.

"Disappointment my left foot, ow, I haven't been hit like that since Mount Horai," she commented, holding her sides a moment, the grin still there on her face. "Feels soooo good to find someone besides Pops on my level. Plus all my easy-win tricks I use on him won't work on you."

"You mean insulting him with the same insults he always used on you?" Tofu asked easily, settling back into an defensive stance. "Yeah, definitely won't work on me, I know too many girls who can kick my ass."

Ranma grinned then leapt back into the attack only for Tofu to deftly block the mid-air kick, flowing through the block and sending Ranma crashing into the ground again.

"Come on, Ranma. You're not paying attention, or you're trying to take me too lightly. You're letting me make you look like an amateur." Tofu commented, no smile in sight.

"Yeah, you're right, I keep forgetting just how good you actually are with your Tai Chi. Too many of my opponents have been the kind to come at me full force, no deflections, no patience." Ranma picked herself back up again, wobbling slightly. "Good grief my defense sucks now, I need bacon-breath to show back up again."

Ranma set herself again, dashing in once more on the attack, Tofu resolutely blocking attacks before snaking a foot out to trip Ranma, only to have Ranma leap just over him and kick out from behind his head. An arm brought around sent the kick spinning harmlessly to the side giving Ranma the momentum to shoot out the other foot as she landed, sweeping Tofu off his feet. As she set herself to attack again, Tofu was already back up, moving forward past one of Ranma's punches and pulling the fist with it, yanking Ranma into his shoulder and quickly rolling her over the same shoulder, slamming her to the ground.

"Awww, shit," Ranma muttered as she stood back up. "For someone who didn't want to disappoint, you're sure doing awful well."

Tofu grinned at the compliment and suddenly dashed back in on the attack, almost catching Ranma flat-footed as she bent under the kick, flipping backwards over the sweep that followed. As she spun around an elbow strike she realized what she'd been doing wrong. As she punched straight out at Tofu she watched as he sidestepped the attack, slapping Ranma's hand away and moving with the same motion to attack. Ranma bent backwards, avoiding the strike and spinning slightly so as to bring her other hand around to attack. The strike caught Tofu in the ribs, bending him over slightly as he jumped away.

"Ow, my turn I guess," Tofu winced, holding the offended side. "I knew I'd only get those first few strikes in before you started adapting."

"Called Anything Goes for a reason," Ranma grinned. "Never fought anyone as good at diverting my momentum as you are though. It's refreshing. I'd say probably ninety percent of my opponents just flat-out stop my attacks, so I got used to just pouring in more power than they can handle. Getting hit with my own strength hurts."

* * *

><p>"They're both really good, aren't they?" Makoto asked Kasumi as they sat watching.<p>

"Tofu's a master of Tai Chi, possibly the best I've ever seen. But Ranma, his family's school is called Anything Goes. They excel at adapting to what's thrown at them, and then incorporating it in their own style. Tofu's excellent, but Ranma takes mastering the Art to a whole new level." Kasumi replied as she set a cup of tea down in front of Makoto. "Here, drink up, it's a nice blend I've found, works well for helping with recovery."

"Thank you again," Makoto answered as she sat back up. "You don't really need to mother me quite so much. You've all done so much already just getting me out of that damned place."

Kasumi reached over and pulled Makoto's chin around to look her in the eyes. "I don't think we've done enough yet. People don't deserve to be treated like that, especially young women like yourself. And I can still see in your eyes, you're scared of ending up there again."

"Wouldn't you be? Months of being forced by those men, it's not something I can just get over. I'm scared out of my mind because of that place.I didn't know where I was, why I was there, what I had done to deserve that. Only to finally be rescued out of nowhere, by someone I don't know, and brought into a home where everyone's a saint. I'm scared the dream is going to end and I'm going to wake back up in my cell, chained to the wall again." Makoto broke down and finally began to cry, Kasumi quickly wrapping the girl in a hug.

"There you go, cry it all out." Kasumi said comfortingly as she rubbed Makoto's back soothingly.

* * *

><p>Ranma dodged under another spinning elbow, finding herself with very little room to actually maneuver into another hit. As she dodged backwards to disengage from Tofu, she heard Makoto's initial sobs. Turning her head just a moment she was blindsided by an open-palm strike from Tofu.<p>

"You okay, Ranma?" Tofu asked as he pulled her back to her feet.

"Yeah, just got distracted is all," Ranma replied, looking over towards the porch. As she turned to walk that way she felt a sudden grip on her arm.

"Don't," Tofu stated, his grip leaving no questions. "You know that's Kasumi's territory. She'll get her straightened out. You look like perhaps you could use someone to talk to yourself."

"Nah, I'm okay, Doc," Ranma stated, her eyes never leaving the porch. "It's just...something about her makes me want to talk to her. Just like it did with Akane. I'm...not sure how to feel about that."

"Do you want an honest opinion, or should I lie to you?" Tofu asked.

"Never believed in Pops' way of things, so I'd say honesty's the best policy," Ranma replied, turning back and grinning at Tofu.

"No one around here is going to blame you for moving past Akane. And you know she wouldn't want you spending too much time mourning her loss. I think if you feel something is there, then feel free to pursue that. It's okay to move past something, so long as you don't forget it. If anything, I'd say Kasumi and Nabiki would encourage you to try to live for someone again. I've overheard them more than once talking to each other about how much more lively you used to be back before Akane was taken from us. Then Soun had that heart attack that no one saw coming, and you've been having to head up the household since. There's nothing wrong with trying to find another love." Tofu stood resolutely, staring at the koi pond.

"So basically, you're telling me that there's nothing wrong with feeling again, eh?" Ranma asked, blowing out a breath as Tofu nodded. "It's just...I screwed up the first few years with Akane so badly, then finally figured it out towards the end. How do I avoid wasting that kind of time again?"

"Perhaps, by using what you learned in your relationship with Akane. Cologne I'm sure would tell you to just look at it as another type of technique. Or to look at relationships as sort of like a fight. When you find something that works against an opponent, you make sure to exploit it. If you find something that makes your girl happy, you make sure to try to do it again every so often. If something blows up in your face, make sure not to do it again. The only difference is you fight with your heart, not with your fists." Tofu said, glancing towards Kasumi. "I realized after a while that losing my sanity didn't work. Guess what I had to figure out how not to do?"

"Yeah, all that got ya was turning me into a pretzel at random occasions. Then ya just had to untwist me later." Ranma replied, grinning again. Both of them laughed. "I think I see what you're sayin though. Don't go in with the name-callin, the random insults, the sheer refusal to talk about anything. I really was a baka."

"We all have to learn somehow. This may be your second chance." Tofu said slowly.

"Thanks, Doc." Ranma said as she turned and walked slowly towards the porch.

* * *

><p>Nabiki watched as her sister handled the emotional rollercoaster, then quirked her eyes outside just in time to see Ranma get floored by Tofu.<p>

"Ouch, wonder what got her so distracted as to let that one hit home," she murmured as she turned her attention back to the news, just in time to hear the doorbell chime. "Let's see...Sis is playing comfort role, and both guys are out by the pond chatting. Guess that means it's my turn."

Nabiki deftly rolled up to her feet, trying to think who would be at their door, then remembered she had called Miss Kino's friends earlier. She wasn't disappointed as she opened the front gate to find four girls standing there.

"Hello, we're Makoto's friends, we were told she was here," the girl with the short blue hair said quickly, bowing politely.

"Ahh, yep, I'm Tendo Nabiki, I called you earlier," Nabiki said as she waved the four of them in. "Come on, she's out on the porch around back at the moment."

"Is...is she all right?" The blonde with the twin pigtails asked. Nabiki just waved her hand again.

"She's alright now, although she's probably still a bit rocky emotionally, if I had to place a bet on things." Nabiki responded, only to be thoroughly dusted as the girl took off full sprint after rounding the back corner of the house. She muttered,"Good grief, it's like Azusa taking off after something cute."

"Sorry about that, Usagi's always been a bit energetic when it comes to her friends," the blue-haired girl apologized as the other two continued after Usagi. "I'm Mizuno Ami, by the way, pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you as well," Nabiki replied, turning just in time to watch Usagi trip in her haste to get to Makoto. She saw the red blur move even faster from the side of her vision."Oh, shit."

"MAKO!" Usagi screamed as she tripped_,_ Rei and Minako right behind her trying to get to her in time to keep her from hurting herself. Rei saw the red blur move in from near the pond, grabbing Usagi from mid-air and holding her there.

"_No human moves that fast!_" she thought as she reached into her robes. She pulled out a ward only to watch it fall in half before she even had a chance to put energy into it. She dropped the other half, feeling like her fingers had just been dipped into an ice bin.

"I'm going to suggest you not even _think_ of trying to do anything," the red-haired girl said coldly, the air around her swirling slightly, her long braid swinging gently in the currents of her battle aura.

"Wait, Ranma! It's okay, they're friends of Miss Kino's!" Nabiki shouted as she got closer to the scene.

"I know, Na-chan," Ranma replied evenly, the air around her slowly warming back up. "That's why Miss Tsukino is hanging in mid-air right now. If she'd actually intended to hurt Makoto, she'd have ended up in the pond, then halfway back across Tokyo."

Rei and Minako both looked at each other, neither one willing to back down just yet.

"It's alright, Ranma," Makoto said from the porch where she was sitting with the blankets wrapped around her. "Rei, Minako, it's okay, honest, Ranma's just being protective. She won't do anything to hurt anyone."

Usagi yelped as she was suddenly turned upright and placed on her feet. She felt Ranma's hand on her shoulder squeezing lightly.

"I know you'd never do anything intentional to harm her, she's just in a bit of a fragile condition at the moment. I actually caught you partially to save yourself from any harm, and to make sure nothing happened to her. Just be a little more careful from now on, please?" Ranma quietly asked, before turning to walk back towards the pond. She turned and looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, Makoto, Kasumi moved you into one of the downstairs rooms so you don't have to deal with the stairs for now. Should be first room on the left in the downstairs hall. I'll be out here if ya need me."

"Thanks, Ranma," Makoto replied from her spot on the porch, smiling brightly. She watched intently as Ranma walked back out to the koi pond and sat down on one of the larger rocks, apparently meditating.

"Earth to Mako?" Usagi said irritably, waving her hands in front of Mako's face for a moment.

"Oh, sorry Usagi, I'm still kinda out of it." Makoto replied, putting one hand to her forehead.

"It's okay," the klutzy blonde replied, before suddenly breaking into tears, wailing and wrapping her arms around Makoto. "I was so scared, we couldn't find you, and then the youma started showing back up, and you were still gone!"

"Oh, come on meatball-head, that girl just warned you to be careful, you're gonna crush her if you squeeze too hard on her with your crying," Rei said exasperatedly, though she herself was hard pressed not to sniffle as well.

"It's alright, Rei," Makoto responded softly. "I don't mind a little squeezing after what I've been through. I'm just glad to see everyone again."

"What happened to you, Mako?" Minako asked from where she was standing, wiping at her eyes. Makoto looked down for a moment, then sighed.

"Remember how there was some talk on the news from some of the more extreme groups claiming that if Japan was going to survive the next catastrophy, then we had to start increasing the birth rates and such?" All four girls nodded. "That's where I've been...held against my will in what Ranma calls a 'breeding ground'."

"Wait...a breeding ground?" Rei asked, her eyes hardening. "That isn't intended to mean what I think, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is. Someone drugged something at the awards ceremony at that last tournament I was at I think. I was on my way home, and I blacked out. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a cell," Makoto explained, stopping as Kasumi came by and poured some tea for everyone before she continued out towards the pond. "I haven't been out of that cell until today. Most of that time I spent chained to the wall after they realized half the men they'd sent in had walked back out with a few broken bones. The other half hadn't been able to walk. Once the chains were put on me, there wasn't much I could do."

Ami glanced around them, making sure no one was within hearing range and lowering her voice. "Couldn't you have just transformed to get out?"

Mako shook her head. "There was a camera outside the door the whole time. If I'd transformed and fought my way out, it would have taken an extraordinary idiot not to realize who had transformed into Sailor Jupiter. I didn't want to risk someone putting that together, then connecting me to everyone else."

"Perhaps we should discuss this more privately?" Rei suggested, only for Makoto to shake her head again.

"I'm alright out here. The air feels good, and I'm still not moving too well yet. I didn't get to do much moving while I was in there, so my body's still weak. Ranma's been helping me make it from point A to point B all day." Makoto replied, wrapping the blanket a few layers deeper around herself.

"What's going on there anyway, Mako-chan?" Minako asked, winking at her.

"Nothing like that, Mina, at least not to my knowledge," Makoto replied, staring at her lap and blushing.

"Uh huh, the only thing missing right now is your usual cries of her being just like your old boyfriend, though that would probably be a bit difficult since she's a girl," Minako teased, ruffling Makoto's hair a bit. "Oh, did you want any of your stuff? We managed to get it out of your apartment before they demolished the building. We were lucky to do so, actually. Now that I think about it, it was Nabiki who kept the construction crews held back so families could get in there."

"She mentioned it. I could use some of my clothes. I'm afraid I'm wearing a pair of Ranma's old pants and a sweater Kasumi managed to sew a bit longer." Makoto replied, causing Rei to glance at Ranma then at Makoto.

"How the hell did her pants manage to fit you?" She asked incredulously. "She's got a slim build, but she's not near as tall as you are."

"That's um..." Makoto tried searching the floorboards for an answer.

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think of Miss Kino, Ranma?" Kasumi said gently as she walked next to the koi pond, setting her tray down gently. Ranma slowly opened her eyes and turned to face her.<p>

"She's a good girl. Far too good to have been stuck in that damned place." Kasumi eyed the redhead speculatively. "What?"

"You've grown up. You helped her down the stairs earlier, and I didn't see any sign of your old embarassment from being within a meter of a girl. You were actually looking kind of comfortable almost." Kasumi grinned.

"Ahh, my plot to have my boobs being rubbed on by another girl's chest has been been discovered. There goes my source of perverse energy for the day. Happosai would've been proud too." Ranma replied, rolling her eyes, shivering slightly as the wind blew around them. Kasumi's eyes didn't miss it though.

"You look like you're not feeling too well, little brother,"

"I'm...just tired, I think," Ranma replied, placing one hand to her forehead.

"And you're more of a baka than my sister claimed if you think that's gonna satisfy me for an answer," Kasumi gently shot back, locking eyes with Ranma. "Now, are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to make you eat cold dinners for a week before you decide to talk?"

"Hard choice that one is," Ranma chuckled for a moment before sighing noisily. "I'm just feeling kinda lost is all, sis. I...haven't really let myself feel close to anyone other than you and Nabiki since Akane died. And yet I can't seem to stop myself from feeling drawn to her."

"It's not just your protective side kicking in a little harder than usual, is it?" Kasumi asked gently. Ranma shook her head quickly.

"No, if anything, I feel pushed to be more protective because of what I'm feeling. I ended up talking to Doc for a few minutes earlier too. He says that I should try to live again. But Akane and I barely got started. How am I supposed to live again when I feel like I barely even got started before?"

"Perhaps, but what if this is what you want, and you just don't know it yet? Then you'll be kicking yourself for years to come if you don't do something."

"How do I know it's something that I should follow though? I mean, come on, I just got her out of that place last night, she's only been here today."

"And yet, you were telling her pieces of your life earlier, you've laughed more today than I've heard you do since Akane left us. Something is making you feel alive again, Ranma. Is that such a bad thing in the end?"

"No, I can't say that it's bad. But what kind of man am I Kasumi? I spend half or more of my time as a girl myself, and she's got a kid on the way as well. How am I supposed to handle that? I don't know anything about being a father, or a mother as the case is some days." Ranma grinned ruefully.

"Well," Kasumi answered, giggling herself. "You at least know who you don't want to be like. Panda Pops is a nickname I'm thinking Mister Saotome earned even before he started sprouting fur with cold water. All there is to being a father, Ranma, is caring for your family, protecting them, and raising them through example. Something your father somehow managed do without bothering to be an example. I'm thinking he thought of it as raising you by example of what not to do...actually, on second thought, your father's not the brightest person on earth, so I doubt he thought about it at all. Perhaps he's just best used as an example of how not to be."

"And you tell me not to worry," Ranma replied, shaking her head again. "Yeah, don't be a panda, excellent words of parental advice. And also don't go around waving a sword screaming about manliness. It tends to scare the children."

Kasumi giggled and started to stand, Ranma moving to stand beside her, when suddenly Ranma's eyes closed and she tilted forward. Kasumi screamed for Tofu as she caught the redhead, checking her vital signs quickly.


	2. Not So Solitary Confinement

Ch.02

**Not So Solitary Confinement**

_Bend and break, break and bend  
><em>_Tallest buildings before weakest winds  
><em>_Teeter and sway with motions unseen  
><em>_Avoiding collapse by giving within_

Makoto looked up as she heard the scream, trying to stand when suddenly Nabiki's hands held her down. As she tried to squirm out from under the smaller girl's grip, Tofu dropped down from the roof above the porch and ran over to Kasumi.

"Don't worry. Kasumi and Doc can handle it, and you'd only be in their way. They're both doctors, even if Kasumi never uses her title. She only yelled for Tofu because he can read people's ki better than she can," Nabiki said from behind her.

"But how can you be so calm?" Makoto asked. Nabiki stood back up and rubbed the back of her head.

"To put it simply, because right now, Ranma's in the best hands I can think of, and you'd only be in their way. I don't know why she's passing out on us all of a sudden, but those two will get to the bottom of it, I'm sure." Nabiki looked up at the other four girls. "Sorry 'bout this. Seems like our home always has to have some sort of drama going on when company visits. I know you guys wanted to stick around and visit for a bit, but with Ranma dropping like that, I'm guessing we'd better cut it short for tonite. I remember Kasumi saying she wanted to limit how much Makoto was moving around till we're more sure of her physical condition."

"Oh, it's alright, we were just a little concerned is all about Ranma. And it only makes sense, if you're going to take care of Mako for us. We really appreciate it." Ami answered, quickly being echoed by the other girls. "Mako, we'll come back tomorrow and bring you some of your clothes if that's alright?"

"That'll work great, Ami." Makoto answered, smiling brightly from her seat. "I'd get up and walk you guys out myself, but I get the feeling I'd get yelled at for over-exerting myself. Of course, that's assuming I made it to the gate to begin with."

"Nah, Kasumi doesn't yell at anyone. You would however, get heavily frowned at, and that's much much worse," Nabiki quipped quickly, smirking playfully.

"It's okay, Mako, we'll see you again tomorrow, okay?" Usagi said happily. As Nabiki walked the girls out, Mako finally unwrapped herself from the blankets a little, and rubbed her stomach lightly.

"Sorry, little one. I didn't want them knowing about you just yet, even if I'm not sure why exactly." she said softly.

* * *

><p>Makoto did get up and slowly walk her way back inside, making it all the way to the couch before Nabiki came back and sat down beside her.<p>

"Sorry if I seemed a bit forward earlier, but you seemed to be trying kinda hard to hide your pregnancy from your friends, and when Ranma went down, you almost blew it." Nabiki said quietly.

"Thank you for that. I'm...not sure why I did that," Mako replied, looking down into her lap again.

"Not sure why you tried to run to Ranma, or why you're hiding your kid from your friends?" Nabiki asked, arching an eyebrow at Makoto.

"Both," Mako replied shortly, a frown marring her otherwise calm face. "I'm...I'm known among my friends for being quick to fall for a new guy. Be that as it may, I'm also known for being hopelessly romantic, so I tend to get my heart stepped on a lot. "

"Well, you're making a mistake on that score, if you think that's all it is. Ranma isn't the type to fall quick, and yet he's opened up more to you today alone than he has to some people we've been associated with for years." Nabiki sighed, wondering to herself what she was doing. "I'm not normally one to play cupid, if anything I'm usually playing the devil's advocate in an attempt to make more money. I like you for some reason though. You remind me in a sense of our little sister."

"The one Ranma was engaged to." Mako chimed in.

"Yeah, she'd be the one. We lost her a few years ago in the impact. They took a few college students along for that expedition, she was one of those." Nabiki wiped another tear away before it could fall. "We've all mostly moved on, except for Ranma. He just...closed up. He used to be a lot more like he has been today. Then after the impact, he threw himself harder than ever into his training. He stopped laughing, except for a short bark of a laugh as Kasumi calls it, and that was all you ever heard out of him. He'd grin, he'd give that fake laugh, occasionally even smile a bit more, but it was never a very honest smile. Nothing like the Ranma we all grew to know. Then the breeding grounds started cropping up. He stumbled on one a few months after the impact. He was just out wandering around town, came across an old abandoned looking ancestral home."

"That doesn't sound anything like where I was," Makoto interrupted, her eyes closing in concentration.

"It wasn't. From what Ranma said today, the place you were in was a lot more modern, and far more organized." Nabiki continued. "This place he stumbled across, he probably would've just kept going past it, assuming it was abandoned, till one of the lights flashed on, and he heard a girl scream. Well, Ranma's always had that knight-in-white-armor personality, and the first rule of martial arts to him is that a martial artist protects the weak. A girl screaming is pretty much a surefire way to catch his attention. He dismantled the entire place within a few minutes."

Makoto's eyes widened. "How?"

"You saw him sparring with Tofu earlier, right?" Mako nodded as Nabiki continued on. Nabiki placed a couple fingers to her nose, rubbing lightly. "I've seen him move so much faster than that, he's nothing more than a blur to a normal human at times, like he did for a moment when he caught your friend. He can punch someone several hundred times inside the space of a few seconds, if not more. I've seen him get belted into the floor by mallets the size of our dinner table and sit back up just fine. Punch holes in brick walls, bend steel poles just by accidentally walking into them. He can fire balls of energy in rapid succession. I'd never have believed any of it if I hadn't seen it all with my own two eyes. The only things I've heard of coming close are the fights between the youma and the Sailor Senshi. And they use magic according to all the reports. Ranma does it all with just physical and mental training."

"I managed to find him towards the end of that fight, if one could call it that. I'd been trying to track him down for Kasumi, and she'd said he'd taken off in that general direction earlier. I heard the sounds of fighting, a few guns fired uselessly. I came around the corner to find Ranma walking back out of that house with the last of four girls, all barely clothed. They were all scared out of their wits, crying and shaking. I ran up to find out what was going on, only to have Ranma tell me to start getting names and addresses so he could take them all back to their families. He walks back into the place, I hear a few more scuffles, then he walks back out, turns, and fires a beam of ki through the middle of the place. Brought the roof crashing down on it, sliced through all the supports. I heard on the news later that he had piled all of the men he'd beat the snot out of in one room, built just enough support around them so they wouldn't get crushed, then he called the police, told them exactly what they'd find. He told them who the girls were, and then started to take each of those girls home to their families, one by one. He's been hunting down those breeding grounds since. Took it as his own personal mission I guess you would say."

"He actually has his entire family looking for them now. His father is doing the wandering martial artist bit, his mother meeting up with the panda every few towns. They keep an eye out for any signs that a new ground has started up. Ukyo actually wanders the country now too, using an okonomyaki yatai as her reason. It keeps her fed, and it's what she loves to do. Plus people love to gossip when they're eating at her cart, so it works out well."

"Wait," Makoto interrupted. "Ukyo, wasn't she one of his fiancees?"

"Ahh, I forgot he actually told you about that whole fun fiasco. Yeah, Kuonji Ukyo, or more specifically, Saotome Ukyo now. Her family disowned her when she refused to kill Ranma or his father, and she refused to try and force him to marry her as well. Apparently had some very unkind words for her father at that meeting. She came back to town looking like hell, if one were to be blunt, and had wandered here before she even realized it. Was so out of it, Kasumi brought her inside, had stripped her down and set her in the furo before she even registered that she wasn't at her shop where she'd intended to end up. Kasumi and Auntie Nodoka ended up mothering her to death while she was in the furo, and got the whole story out of her. Nodoka added her to the family scroll right then and there, and officially adopted her into the Saotome clan by the end of the day."

"She must have a large heart," Makoto commented. "A trait that seems to have passed to her son as well."

"Well we know he sure didn't get it from his father. That man's only real goal in life is to keep himself fed, and alive. Something I'm not sure he'd be successful at if Nodoka knew even half of what he did to train Ranma. As it is, he's in a perpetual doghouse from what she _does_know already." Nabiki grinned lightly. "To say that Ranma's life is exciting would be an understatement. He's been referred to as the avatar of chaos a few times, and I'm not so sure they were joking. Anyway, you still didn't answer the other question yet. Why hide your kid from your friends?"

"I'm," Mako started, only to close her mouth again, a frown forming as she looked once more into her lap.

"Lemme see if I can take a guess. You're still not sure how to feel about it yourself, and definitely not sure how they'd react," Nabiki supplied after a moment of silence, sighing gently as Makoto nodded. "My sister is better at this kind of thing than I am. But she's kinda busy, so we'll see if I'm actually any help. You're feeling caught in the middle, because you want to hate the kid for being there, since it's a constant reminder of the circumstances you were in. But you know the kid didn't choose that, and you're mad at yourself for wanting to blame the kid."

"Thought so," Nabiki quipped as Makoto looked up at her, eyes stricken with fresh tears as she nodded. She sighed again as she pulled the brunette against her in a one-armed hug. "Logic I guess doesn't always fail me when it comes to people. It's understandable you'd want to blame someone for it. But, the real people responsible for it are still in that complex that Ranma pulled you out of. If anything, be mad at them, and be glad he gave you an opportunity to have this kid out in the open, away from whatever sort of madness they would've pulled the kid into. Zealots like those people are so far removed from us normal people, it's ridiculous that they even manage to survive on their own, let alone how they would raise anyone's kid. This way, even if the kid isn't something you wanted at this point in time, at least now you've got the choice to raise it how you see fit, and not how they wanted it to be."

Makoto looked up from Nabiki's shoulder. "How do you people keep knowing what to say? How is it you know what I'm thinking?"

"We don't always know. We're just getting lucky, at least I am. Plus, we've seen more than a few girls like you now, although Ranma's never taken an interest in one like he has with you." Nabiki answered, drawing another blush out of the sniffling Makoto. "You're the first one I've seen who's managed to come back out angry though, and not just scared and broken into submission. Those men are cruel to the women they've taken. You actually got somewhat lucky. I've seen Ranma bring them back bloody, beaten half to death, broken bones occasionally. And all of them...ugh, I can't even bring myself to say it, it disgusts me so much."

"Raped," Makoto said quietly, almost too low to be heard. She curled up as much as she could, wrapping her arms around herself and starting to rock back and forth. "Day in, day out, never any stop to it, two, three times a day if it was a slow one, seven or eight times on a busy day."

"Shit shit shit," Nabiki said quietly as she watched the girl pull back into herself. She yanked her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, sending a text upstairs.

* * *

><p>"I can't find anything really wrong with him, dear, other than his ki seems to just be abnormally low," Kasumi said as she kept checking Ranma over. Tofu standing with one arm across his chest, the other hand under his chin.<p>

"I'm not sure either. You said he just collapsed, right?" Tofu asked, Kasumi nodding sadly at him. "He's been sleeping properly?"

"I'm...not completely sure. He's always been the type to sleep less than the rest of us unless he's had someone challenge him lately, so he usually went to bed after me. When he'd wake up was always hit or miss," Kasumi said, closing her eyes and folding her hands in her lap. Her eyes shot wide open after a moment. "I haven't seen him sleep at all this week, come to think of it. And I know last night at least he was out at that breeding ground rescuing Miss Kino."

"Damnit," Tofu muttered, slamming his fist into a door frame and causing Kasumi to jump slightly. "Sorry...I had a bad feeling he was gonna do this. He's pushed himself for too long again. He did it once before, you might remember. I was finally able to convince him to just rest, just before he collapsed in front of me anyway. Last time he slept for I think a full day. He'd been up for three or four days straight, pushing himself to his limit the whole time."

"Just after we lost Akane, when he threw himself into his training so hard," Kasumi said as she stood and walked up to Tofu, embracing him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, letting her presence calm him.

"Yeah, that would be when. I didn't know he'd been pushing himself so hard again. And then he sparred with me tonite, on top of the little emotional rollercoaster he's got himself on now with this new girl."

"She's good for him I think. He's finally breaking out of his shell again," Kasumi replied, nuzzling against Tofu's chest. Suddenly she heard a buzz from her apron. Pulling out her phone and flipping it open, she swore colorfully. "Sorry, love, I need to run downstairs, Nabiki apparently managed to finally get Makoto talking about her ordeal a little, and the poor girl balled up on her." Tofu nodded as Kasumi ran out the door and down the stairs noiselessly. He sat down in the chair next to Ranma's bed, sighing loudly.

"What're we gonna do with you, my friend?"

* * *

><p>Nabiki was trying everything she knew to calm the distraught Makoto down. She breathed a sigh of relief as Kasumi suddenly showed up next to them, quickly sitting down next to the other side. The sisters glanced at each other, Nabiki silently mouthing a thank-you to Kasumi as she got up and slowly walked away towards the stairs, sadly watching over her shoulder.<p>

"Come on, Makoto, it's alright," Kasumi tried, using every ounce of her willpower to stay calm. She knew the girl had to have some mental trauma from the breeding ground, and what happened in those places infuriated her to begin with. She'd been hoping the real breakdown wouldn't hit for a day or two, or that perhaps they'd manage to avoid it completely, but some things were just meant to happen it seemed. "Come on, calm down, talk to me, it's me, Kasumi. No one is going to hurt you like that again. You're safe here."

No sooner had the words left her mouth before the green-eyed brunette was clinging to her house-dress, crying hard enough to almost give her father a run for his money.

"Finally, poor thing, between the hormones and what you've been through," Kasumi said gently. "Perhaps you needed this more than I thought." She continued smoothing the girl's hair, rubbing her back comfortingly, as one would a scared child.

"I g-got you all w-wet again," Mako finally stammered out, eliciting a slight giggle from Kasumi.

"I think it's a good cause. Poor Nabiki on the other hand, is probably up there kicking herself for getting you worked up," Kasumi replied, still rubbing the girl's back gently.

"N-no, s-she didn't d-do anything wrong. Sh-she was just t-trying to be friendly, and th-the conversation got ar-round to the breeding grounds. She was t-telling me about R-Ranma's first dealing with one," Makoto managed to stammer out between sobs, starting to hiccup slightly. Kasumi frowned and quickly pulled out her phone, tapping a few keys before shutting it again. "She w-was telling m-me about Ranma, how he leveled that first one he found. And ab-bout the girls he's r-rescued."

"Ahh, I see...it made you remember your ordeal, didn't it?" Kasumi interjected, gently sighing as the other girl nodded. She looked up a few moments later to see Nabiki approaching with the glass of water she'd sent her a message about. She lifted Makoto up slowly. "Here, drink it slowly. Don't want you to get dehydrated, but don't want you getting sick either."

Makoto shakily took the glass, sipping down the water. She finally managed to calm herself down after about half the glass, only to look up at both sisters looking at her in concern.

"I'm sorry...I keep crying all over your house," she said quietly.

"If you think that's gonna bother us, we apparently need to tell you some stories of our father," Nabiki replied, grinning cheekily. "Human waterworks our father was. Ranma joked one time we were gonna have to make his casket waterproof in case he started crying in the grave, unless we wanted him to flood the graveyard."

"Nabiki!" Kasumi quickly said, as the girl between them tried hard not to laugh and only succeeded partially in containing it. "That's not very nice to say about Father...even if it is true."

"I think we determined you're the nice one in the family, sis, not me," Nabiki shot back, sticking her tongue out at her sister. She froze in surprise as suddenly Makoto threw her arms around her.

"It's not your fault I broke down, I'm sorry about that. You just were trying to help me, and I'm just too emotional for my own good right now," Makoto said quietly.

"Eh, no worries. I have a bad habit of poking the wrong buttons. Sis always tells me I lack tact. I tend to be a bit more blunt than I should be at times in personal matters. A bit too much businesswoman in me for my own good I guess," Nabiki replied evenly. "On a somewhat related note, what's going on with Ranma, Ka-chan?"

"He's pushed himself too hard again, we think. You might remember back when we lost Akane, those few weeks after where he just trained out in the yard non-stop? And finally stopped that one afternoon after Tofu talked to him?" Nabiki nodded as Kasumi continued, Makoto's eyes watching both of them intently. "I don't know how long exactly this time, but he's been up at least since yesterday morning. Possibly the day before, I don't know for certain. He stopped sleeping as long as the rest of us for so long that I stopped waiting for him to be asleep before I was. Tofu was guessing he's been at it five or six days this time. He must have been really studying that place a few nights in a row, before he made his move last night. And he's been up all day with Makoto here, then sparred with Tofu earlier."

"And don't you even start to blame yourself one bit," Kasumi said, looking Makoto directly in the eye. "This is by no means your fault at all, and Ranma would never forgive himself if he thought he was causing you trouble, even if unintentionally."

"But, if he hadn't-" Makoto started to protest, only to have Nabiki put a hand over her mouth.

"Don't. Just don't. Remember I was telling you about Ranma earlier. Kasumi's got the right of it. He rescued you because he wanted to, and because he feels it's a martial artist's job to help those in unfortunate situations. If he hadn't rescued you, then what? You'd still be stuck there. You're much better off here, and Ranma will tell you himself that that alone is worth him pushing himself like that. He's the type who can get hurt, get up, and run right back into what hurt him. If it saves someone else some pain, he'll do it again and again." Nabiki removed her hand, only to panic as Makoto started to cry again. "I'm just digging myself a deeper hole every time I open my mouth, aren't I?"

"No, no, you're fine," Makoto managed to get out. She held her head in her hands for a moment. "I'm just...by Kami I'm such a mess right now. I don't even know what's causing me to cry so much, I'm normally a lot more stable with my emotions."

"Oh?" Kasumi said, gently prodding at the swollen ball that was Makoto's stomach. "I don't think you've dealth with this situation before. And I think something else may be having a slight effect on that. I doubt you were pregnant before."

"Yeah," Mako replied, her own hands moving to her distended belly. "You may have a slight point there. Here's to hoping I can still think coherently by the time this brat comes out."

* * *

><p>Ami and the others walked back to their homes mostly in silence, until suddenly Rei screamed in frustration and made the other three girls jump away slightly.<p>

"What the hell, Rei?" Minako asked, her curiosity overcoming her shock just a touch faster than the other two.

"Something about that whole damned scene was off," Rei snapped, stopping and folding her arms in her sleeves. "It's like Mako was hiding something, and that's not how Mako normally is with us. Hell, it's not how she normally is with just about anyone. Not to mention she kept giving that other girl looks the whole time, and last I checked she's not the type to swing that way. And she wasn't moving around at all either."

"Maybe she's just still tired? Or perhaps Michiru and Haruka rubbed off on her?" Usagi asked quietly. "It's not like there's anything wrong with that. And she said it was a breeding ground she was rescued from? We know what happens in those from what that one boy who helps us out was telling us about'em. I don't wanna think about what she had to have gone through. Maybe she's decided she doesn't want men anymore because of it."

"That's the other thing about it all, that red haired girl. Her name apparently was Ranma. That's the same name as the boy you just mentioned. It's not exactly a common name," Rei replied.

"Well she was obviously a girl. No way anyone can wear one of those dresses and get away with it unless they've got the figure, and she's definitely got that," Minako piped in.

"Are we sure that it's not possible anyway?" Ami asked, pulling the Mercury computer out and pulling up her visor. "Let's face it. We've seen stranger things than someone who's a guy and a girl. And the Starlights showed us that that was possible to begin with. On top of that, if you look up Ranma, there's a couple entries from a few years back in the local school systems. I can't get anything more than the basic info without hacking deeper into the system, but there's a file for a girl, and a boy. And all of the information on them is the same. Same birth date, eye color, everything other than the gender, height, and hair color."

"So, assuming they're the same, then the other question is, why not mention it to us to begin with?" Rei responded, her face scrunching up a bit more in irritation.

"Probably because we were just a normal group of girls, not the Sailor Senshi. Besides, if that Ranma _is _the same Ranma we've been dealing with, I'm supposed to be meeting up with him again tonite to discuss that latest breeding ground he was gonna raid. We all saw her collapse, so if he's not there tonite, then I'd say that's a pretty good indication that we're on to something," Ami pointed out as they all began walking again. "On top of that, if it proves to be true then it could possibly explain Mako's strange looks. And it could also be what she was hiding. We know she's not the type to give away something that's someone else's private business."

"Oh my god I hate these new stupid apartments! I want my house back!" Usagi suddenly broke out whining. "Stupid government ideas!"

"What's so bad about them? I know the shrine survived everything, so I've sorta been ignoring it, but what's the government have to do with'em?" Rei asked, side-tracked momentarily.

"It's not actually the government themselves," Ami answered, tapping furiously again on the Mercury computer. "It's a new agency they've set up, called NERV. All very classified, top-level. I can't even get the Mercury computer to start to get into their network before I get booted back out and have to shut down to avoid getting traced. They've been pulling a lot of strings lately though. Pushing through construction deals, pressuring for old wards to be dozed and rebuilt. They're essentially taking over the city in all but name. I honestly don't like it, but there's not really much we can do about it. They're the reason we had to be quick about getting Mako's stuff out that one day. Whoever is in charge of them doesn't really care about the citizens, that much is certain."

"That's an unsettling prospect. Grandfather was proud that the shrine survived the impact, it'd probably kill him for it to get taken away suddenly because of this agency," Rei said quietly, setting down on the stairs in front of the shrine once they arrived.

"Well, the good news is that they seem to have finished moving Tokyo," Ami continued, causing the other three girls to look at her in shock. "If you look at a current map and overlay it with an old one, the center of Tokyo now is actually a few kilometers from where it used to be. That home where Makoto is staying used to be right in the middle of the Nerima ward. Now it's clear on the outskirts of Tokyo. Most of the homes around them were shaken down or swept away by the sudden floods and tsunamis from the impact. Just like how Usagi's home was eventually condemned because of the damage, a lot of other places were too. So they built all the new apartment buildings, and slowly moved the population over a bit of distance. No one really noticed it seems."

"Well, I did notice that the rest of you are a lot closer to each other, and to the shrine," Rei commented. She sighed in exasperation. "Well, it's not like we're gonna be able to do anything about it, like you said. Our job is youma extermination, and waiting for the circumstances to show up to bring about Crystal Tokyo like Setsuna always talks about."

"That much is true. I'll see if I can dig up some more information on Ranma before I go to meet up with him tonite, and I'll definitely let you girls know if he doesn't show up," Ami rambled off as she closed the Mercury computer and stored it and the visor back in their sub-space pockets. "If that turns out to be the case, what do we do? It's not like he's done anything to make us doubt him, and her performance this afternoon with catching Usagi in mid-air speaks of around the same level of speed we've seen Ranma use in fights with Youma. On top of that, we all heard her, she wasn't trying to harm us, she was merely keeping anyone from getting hurt."

"Tell that to my ward," Rei said irritably. "First it fell in half out of nowhere, then my fingers felt almost as if they were frostbitten. I don't recall seeing Ranma doing _that _before to any of the youma."

Rei waved goodbye to the other three girls and walked up the rest of the stairs to the shrine, her grandfather asleep already as the stars began to show up. Ami, Minako, and Usagi continued on to their new homes, all of their apartments ending up in the same building, though they were all on different floors.

* * *

><p>Sailor Mercury stood atop the one of the smaller buildings, not too far from the shrine. She waited for over an hour before being joined by Sailor Mars.<p>

"So I take it that you've not had him show up tonite then?" Mars asked quietly. Mercury shook her head slowly.

"Not so much as a word."

"Then I guess we operate under the assumption that Ranma we deal with, and the Ranma she's staying with are one and the same. So how do we approach this then?" Mars asked, uncertainty showing clearly on her face.

"So far he's not given us any reason to doubt him," Mercury replied evenly. "I don't see any reason to treat him any differently. For now I'd say we just keep the knowledge to ourselves, and treat him and her as different people until he feels like letting us know otherwise. We don't know for certain if he knows who Mako is, or who we are. He didn't let on that he did this afternoon. That may have been due to other people being around, since he seems to be the type to put others before himself, but we can't rely on that being the case necessarily."

"So don't change what we're doing, and don't let on that we know any more than necessary," Mars said in the same even tone. "Can't say that I like having to hide things, but we still can't be certain how things are going to go, I guess."

Both girls waved to each other, before jumping lightly down to street level and proceeding back to their homes.

* * *

><p>Makoto woke up the next morning feeling much more refreshed than she had the day before. Something she was grateful for as she stood up, then suddenly bolted down the hall to the restroom.<p>

"Oh my, morning sickness I'm assuming?" she heard Kasumi mumble a few minutes later. Makoto could only nod before getting noisily sick again. Kasumi gently rubbed on her back and handed her a glass of water.

"Sorry, I haven't really been prone to being sick since I got pregnant, at least not that I noticed," Makoto apologized, her face scrunching slightly with embarassment.

"That's perfectly alright. You may have been too stressed out till now for your body to even register the morning sickness, or it may have been the food yesterday. Either way, it's no big deal." Kasumi smiled as she helped clean up a little. "Now, let's get washed up for the morning, and if you'd like, we can talk while I get breakfast fixed. Hopefully Ranma will wake up today, and we can have him help you around if you need it again."

"Hopefully he'll wake up?" Makoto asked curiously as she and Kasumi disrobed, moving into the bathing chamber.

"Yes," Kasumi replied, stopping in her tracks for just a moment before continuing on, her face looking much less certain. "Ranma...he has a habit of pushing his body past it's limits at times. He's only pushed himself actually clear to passing out like that once before now. He does have a tendency to remain awake for a day or two at a time, then he'll sleep for about as long as a normal person. He's been training for so long now, his muscles just use their energy more efficiently than a normal person. It just has an unfortunate side-effect when he starts concentrating, he forgets that he _does_need to sleep on occasion. It's hard to say exactly how long he'll be sleeping, since I have no idea how long he's been awake this time."

"So, basically, if he's focused enough on something, he just doesn't get tired, and just keeps going till he collapses?" Makoto responded, rinsing herself off. Kasumi nodded at her as she rinsed herself off as well. As Makoto dried herself off she stopped and stared at her belly.

"Something on your mind?" Kasumi asked as she watched over her.

"Just...before, in the cell, all I could think of was trying to get out, and then how to protect this kid. Now...I'm not sure what to think. Nabiki was right last night, in one corner of my mind, I want to blame this kid. But I know that it's not at fault. Hell, if anything, the kid is as much a victim as I am." Makoto answered slowly. "Right now I've still got time to just ponder it, while the kid plays hell with my hormones."

"Well, judging by what I've seen of you with Ranma and your friends, you'll be a good mother," Kasumi smiled as the compliment brought another blush to Makoto's face. "You'll have your doubts, your fears, but you seem to have a decent head on your shoulders. Knowing that the child isn't to blame is the first sign of that. Some of the girls we've rescued, they were so broken mentally, they didn't even register that they were pregnant. Some were in denial of the fact even as they were in their third trimester, and very obviously showing. You on the other hand, seem to be made of something a touch stronger. You recognize your child, and instead of trying to find a way to ignore it or get rid of it, you chose to try and protect it."

"But what about now? I managed to keep it safe long enough to get out of there. If it weren't for Ranma, that never would have happened, but now that it has, I have no idea where to go with this," Makoto said as she redressed herself in another borrowed set of silk pants, and another shirt that Kasumi had quickly altered. "I think I need to stop wearing Ranma's pants, all this silk is making me feel pampered." Kasumi giggled as Makoto chuckled herself.

"I was trying to figure out how well you were going to be able to move today, but your little issue this morning made it apparent that you can move well enough. Just make sure to sit down for a while if you start feeling worn out," Kasumi lectured lightly as they walked down the hall to the kitchen.

"Yes, mother." Makoto replied playfully, sticking her tongue out at Kasumi as they rounded the corner. Kasumi could only laugh merrily.

* * *

><p>Ranma smiled slightly as he looked around. Bright green grass grew all across the hillside, a large tree overhanging the edge of a small pond.<p>

"Alright...now I know I'm dreaming. Stuff like this never stays calm around me, and I've been watching this for at least five minutes," he said to himself.

"Is being calm such a horrible thing?" he heard, a soft sigh following as he turned around to face a blue-haired young lady. "I thought we had more than enough excitement in our lives already."

"Akane..."

"Yes, baka, who else do you usually see in your dreams?" she asked him quietly as they sat down by the edge of the water under the tree.

"Depends, sometimes I see Saffron. I've never quite gotten over that," Ranma said slowly.  
>"You did what you had to do. And you know now that crossing that boundary doesn't make you less of a martial artist," she said, putting a hand to his face.<p>

"It's not something I want to feel proud of," Ranma replied, turning towards the water.

"Then don't be proud of it. But don't ignore it. Yes, you've killed for those you love. You may have to do so again at some point," Akane pulled Ranma's face back around, finding tears forming in his eyes. "Don't be afraid to do what needs to be done Ranma. In anything. We made that mistake, and it almost cost us more time than we had."

"I don't want to move on without you, Akane," Ranma said, hugging her tightly.

"I'll be waiting for you. But for now, live and love again, Ranma. Your heart was always your greatest asset. Don't let my absence destroy that," Akane said wearily. "Pushing yourself to exhaustion isn't going to make me happy to see you, either."

"I...guess I just wanted to be reunited with you sooner."

"In that case, I have a personal challenge for you, my love. Let's see how long you can live for me instead of seeing how fast you can join me, ne?" Akane smirked slightly as she looked up at Ranma. "Consider that my own mission for you."

"I don't see how living without you is worth calling living," Ranma said despondently.

"Oh? And who did I watch earlier today running around the house like a teenager again?" Akane asked, her infamous temper flaring slightly. Ranma's shock shown on his face a moment. "Yes, I'm still watching over you, baka. Someone has to, and other people out there need you. Don't deny them your love. Especially her. You can introduce me to her when you find your way back to me, okay?"

"Yeah...I guess I'll have to do that, won't I?" Ranma said, finally releasing her. "I"ll always love you."

"I love you too" she said sadly, before slowly disappearing.

* * *

><p>Tofu watched quietly as Ranma's aura seemed to twist again and again as it flowed through her, before it suddenly smoothed back out to it's normal levels.<p>

"Well that was interesting," Tofu commented to himself.

"What was?" He heard from behind him, turning to find Makoto standing there.

"I must be getting rusty, or I'm concentrating on Ranma far too hard if you snuck up on me like that," he commented, grinning lightly. "I assume you can't see people's auras?"

"No. I have a friend who's a fire-maiden at a shrine, she says she can if someone's aura is bright enough, but she can't see everyone unless she really concentrates on it," Makoto replied, sitting down lightly on a nearby chair.

"I could probably help her with that some time if she'd like,she should be very close on being able to see everyone's." Tofu offered before gesturing towards the unconcious redhead. "I was watching Ranma's for a few minutes. His aura has always been...well, chaotic, compared to most people's. But even in the chaos that he normally contains, there's always been a certain pattern. The energy always turns specifically at certain points, so on and so forth. His ki has been replenishing slowly, so his aura has been rebuilding as well, but it's been even more chaotic than usual. It's a very odd thing to watch." Tofu explained, glancing over at the girl and inspecting her aura. "Normally people's auras are very stable. A gentle amount of motion in them perhaps. If they're a very exciteable and active person, or if they're in a higher state of emotion, their aura seems very bright. On the other hand, if it's a very inactive person, or someone who's feeling down, their aura looks very dull, like looking at a car with just primer painted on it."

"For instance, right now, I see a great deal of curiosity in your aura. I also see a touch of worry, a fair bit of protectiveness, and some gratitude. To me, these types of emotions, the ones that are right on the surface, are easy to read. At least in normal people. There's a touch of something else in your aura that I can't quite figure out though. It's green, the same as a depressed person's aura would be, except much much more vibrant in color so that couldn't be it. It's actually more akin to the overwhelming amount of power that Ranma keeps based off of his confidence, except his is a gold color."

"So it's like seeing people's emotions in colors?" Makoto asked intently.

"In a sense," Tofu replied evenly, glancing back at Ranma. "For the most part, unless you've learned to dig past it somehow, you'll only gain surface details at a first glance. As you adapt to it, and get better at it, it will give you a slightly better insight at what you're seeing. Looking at a specific piece of someone's aura will usually allow you to gain a small feeling of what they're feeling themselves. Kasumi is sensitive to that even without being able to see people's auras. Ranma said when he comes up against another fighter on his own level, it's like coming up against a small sun if he shifts his vision to look at their aura. That initial aura is someone's main emotion at any point in time. But there's always another layer just below that, and that's where the real information is. The worry, protectiveness, and gratitude that I see in you, as well as that vibrant green, are in that second layer. I guess you could say it's like looking at someone's subconscious. But some people, usually the type who are known to be plotters, backstabbers, thieves, liars and the like, are a different story. You can read them just as well if you're good enough, but most of those types lack the kind of life energy normal people's emotions do. Their auras are very flat, and appear to be almost like they aren't lit up at all."

"I've...never known anyone with knowledge like that, let alone a doctor who seems to look at things like that. Most are too busy staring at medical charts and numbers," Makoto said finally, before suddenly perking up. "Oh, sorry, I got distracted, Kasumi sent me up here to give you a small break. She has some lunch downstairs for you."

"You're feeling better today I'm assuming?" Tofu asked as he started to stand from his chair.

"I'm much better than I was yesterday, and it feels good to be up and moving again. I...owe Ranma my life, so watching over him for a few minutes for you two to get a small break here and there is the least I can do." Makoto replied, smiling brightly as she sat down in the chair that Tofu had vacated.

"Alright, just yell for us if you need us for anything, or if you start feeling weak." Tofu said as he turned and walked out the door to go get his lunch from his wife.

* * *

><p>Tofu and Kasumi both walked in a little while later to find Makoto having fallen asleep in the chair, her head laid down on her arms on the side of the bed.<p>

"Well, that's certainly not the scene I expected to find," Tofu quipped quietly, grinning as Kasumi gently slapped his arm.

"It's sweet. Although she's going to turn more red than Ranma's hair once she wakes up and notices us, as easily as she blushes," Kasumi answered, grinning back. "Perhaps we should leave them? The air even feels more calm in here than it did before."

"Ranma's aura finally calmed down earlier. Calmest I've seen it in years actually. That would probably account for what you're sensing." Tofu suggested.

"No, it's not just Ranma. I can feel his aura anywhere in the house. It's hers as well. She wasn't even that calm while she was sleeping before." Kasumi responded. She slipped out the door, fetching a light blanket from the hallway closet and laying it over Makoto. "Do you think she's just picking up on Ranma's aura?"

"It's possible. In her aura earlier, there was a lot of negative emotions hiding behind her foremost ones. And I can see that extra touch in her aura that Ranma mentioned to you. She's curious about their relationship I think, and very uncertain. Feeling protective of her child still, or possibly of something more. And feelings of gratitude and worry where Ranma's concerned." Tofu said as they quietly stepped back out into the hall.

"Worry? I did sense some hesitation in her earlier. Is she worried that she'll end up back in the breeding ground?" Kasumi asked as they neared the stairs.

"I'm not certain, but I don't think so. I think she's genuinely worried about Ranma. But behind all of that, there's still a small but solid core of fear. She's hiding it well, and it may never come to the surface again, but it's there."

"Perhaps the trauma she's dealt with in the breeding ground has caused that. She's trying not to let it all bother her, but the pregnancy is upsetting her hormones and keeping her from the control she would normally have, I'm guessing," Kasumi kept talking as she started to prepare things for the evening meal. "Nabiki told me everything she talked about last night, and it sounds like she may not have come out of it as much in one piece as I initially thought. So undoubtedly there's the same fear as in the other girls, and the same feelings of doubt in herself."

"That may explain it. But you can see so much honesty in her aura as well, it's almost surprising that she'd hide anything." Tofu said, seating himself in the doorway between the kitchen and family room.

"Nabiki did mention that she's unsure where Ranma's concerned. She's apparently quick to fall, as it were, and is afraid that she's just going to get stepped on again. Understandable that she'd want to avoid that considering what she just came out of."

"Indeed. I'm more surprised that Ranma seems to be falling quickly as well."

"I think he's trying not to, but even he can sense it. That may be part of what triggered him to finally collapse."

"He doesn't exactly have a good track record with women, does he?"

"Well I'd say that depends on who you ask for an opinion. Auntie Nodoka seemed to think that he was doing just fine. And that just marrying the one he likes the most and making mistresses of the rest was a perfectly fine idea," Kasumi said, rolling her eyes slightly, causing Tofu to chuckle loudly.

"Ahh, yes, to be a manly man. Some days I don't wonder if perhaps she had her own hand in Happosai's brand of teaching."

"Now that's not nice, dear," Kasumi said, waving a wooden spoon at him mischeviously. "You know she hated Happosai."

"Doesn't change the fact that her thinking's just a bit odd, love," Tofu replied, watching his wife intently.

"It probably is for the best that she's not here currently. I'm sure she'd have some sort of strange comment to Ranma and Makoto. 'Oh, my son is so manly even women pregnant with another man's child flock to him' or something similarly distasteful." Kasumi stated, frowning.

"Yes, she has a knack for saying things that in spite of being an almost polar opposite, sound oddly similar to something Genma would say." Tofu mentioned, smirking. "Nabiki having another long day today?"

"No, she should be home any moment," Kasumi said, just in time to hear the front door open and the aforementioned sister to walk in. "Speak of the devil."

"Nah, only his assistant," Nabiki retorted, removing her heels. "Freaking idiots on the city council, I swear they must all be Kunos. One of them tried to tell me I owe them money again. They seem to have forgotten our contract with the city. I'm thinking it has something to do with this new head councilman who apparently no one will tell me the name of. He's just suddenly cropped up and now he's in charge. Sits with the lights all dimmed down so no one on the council is completely sure who he is. Supposedly he was appointed by the previous head, but the rest of the board even seems to dislike the man."

"Oh my, that doesn't sound very good at all for someone on the council," Kasumi commented.

"You're telling me. Daddy never would have put up with something like that. But that was also before the impact when he was retired from the council, it's hard to say how much of it might be being influenced by country politics," Nabiki replied as she moved into the kitchen, gratefully taking the cup of tea Kasumi handed her. "Ahh, good blend today."

"You say that as if we ever have a day with a bad blend, Nabiki," Tofu commented.

"You weren't here for it, don't remember what kind of tea it was Kasumi got sold, but ugh, stuff was horrid. Even Akane could tell it was bad after the first cup," Nabiki shuddered theatrically. "Oh, I don't know when Miss Kino's friends will be showing back up today, but they're supposed to be bringing some of her clothes. I imagine you're going to have to do your usual magic with them Ka-chan."

"It won't be that difficult," Kasumi said, pursing her lips as she thought on it a moment. "Should just mostly be a few waistline adjustments on the pants. Shirts will be a little more difficult, but should be manageable. They'll work well enough till we can go get her a few maternity items. She's asleep last we checked, in case they show up soon."

"Fair enough. Ranma wake back up yet?" Nabiki asked as she wandered towards the family room, carefully stepping over Tofu.

"I don't imagine we'll see him till tomorrow morning, if he was awake as long as I think," Tofu replied, before walking outside and beginning a few light katas.

"I'll be getting cleaned up if anyone needs me, Sis," Nabiki yelled as she walked down the hall.

* * *

><p>Kasumi walked to the front gate after hearing the bell, only to find one of the girls from the previous day standing there, holding a large bundle.<p>

"Hi! I'm Minako, I was here yesterday to see Mako," the girl smiled energetically.

"Oh my, yes, I remember. I see you brought the clothes Nabiki mentioned," Kasumi said as she took the bundle. "I'd invite you in to see her again, but I'm afraid she's been asleep all afternoon."

"That's okay, we were surprised she was as awake as she was yesterday as it was. If you just wanna let her know to call us some time or something, we'd be glad to hear from her when she's awake."

"I'll be sure to let her know," Kasumi said as the blonde waved and walked on down the road.

* * *

><p>Kasumi smiled and gently prodded Makoto awake as she walked back into Ranma's room. The emerald-eyed girl groggily blinked at her a few times.<p>

"Time to wake up, sleepy-head. You've been in here for a few hours now," Kasumi mentioned as she went over and opened the curtains and window, allowing the afternoon sun and breeze in. Makoto rubbed the rest of the sleep out of her eyes before realizing she was smelling food, her stomach rumbling in appreciation. "I had a feeling you'd be hungry, there's a small snack there on the desk for you, and dinner will be ready shortly. Your friend Minako dropped off some of your clothes as well."

"Thank you," Makoto said as she began eating. "Were you going to watch him now?"

"No, he should be all right. He's out of the danger stage now. Tofu said his ki stabilized thoroughly back to it's normal range, so he's content to just let Ranma sleep now." Kasumi replied.

"Oh," Makoto replied, sounding unsure.

"If you feel it's important enough, you can come back up and watch over him again after dinner," Kasumi said gently as she pulled the other girl to her feet and steered her out the door. "For now though, you've got yourself and someone else who needs fed."

* * *

><p>"So she's adamant on watching over him again, eh?" Tofu asked as he helped Kasumi clean up the dishes from dinner, after watching Makoto make her way back up the stairs to Ranma's room.<p>

"So it seems. I'm not sure if it's out of a feeling of debt, or her way of acting on her feelings. Either way, the only harm I'm seeing in it is that she's playing murder on her back sleeping slumped over in that chair," Kasumi said, frowning slightly.

"I could go get the spare futon and put it in there," Tofu suggested lightly.

"That...would be acceptable I think," Kasumi said after a moment.

"Are you sure? You used to think such a thing was improper," Tofu teased before wrapping his arms around her from behind and softly nuzzling at her neck, making her shiver slightly.

"Someone made me loosen up a little bit I guess. Now, that certain someone also needs to go do as he suggested," she replied playfully.

"Yes, ma'am," Tofu said back in the same tone. "I just hope Ranma doesn't get mad at us for playing cupid of a sort with him."

* * *

><p>Nabiki quirked an eyebrow as her sister quickly began mending clothes.<p>

"I knew you were good, Sis, but I don't think I've ever actually watched you doing this before. It's no wonder you're still good in the art," she remarked as she glanced over between TV reports.

"Mister Saotome wasn't the only one who used the 'all things can become training' idea. It was actually Father's idea to begin with, Genma borrowed it and took it to an extreme when he left on that trip with Ranma," Kasumi answered as she moved another pair of pants over to the building pile of altered clothes. "I do, however, think I'm going to have met my match in the shirts. Too many were just the right size to fit her before, and now she's got a lot more curves to try and hug."

"In other words, she's pregnant and her belly isn't gonna fit in the bottom of them," Nabiki quipped, smirking slightly.

"Bigger in the bustline as well, for the same reason though," Kasumi answered seriously, before sighing lightly. "I hate admitting I can't fix something, but there's no use trying to fight a battle you can't win, and this is one that I would need a lot more time and thread to win."

"What about Ranma's old chinese shirts? I know you've been altering his old silk pants for her, would his old shirts work too?" Nabiki asked, rolling over and hanging her arms over the side of the couch.

"They could work as a quick fix, but it would be of questionable fashion," Kasumi answered, her brows knitting in concentration.

"You said yourself you're not looking for a permanent solution. She's gonna need a new wardrobe till the kid is born, and before you go through that whole pile, it's probably best to point out you can get her some maternity pants to go with the shirts. She can use all of that stuff once she's had the kid and got her figure back." Nabiki supplied, already working out the budget in her head. "Besides, they should still match the pants anyway. And Ranma made it look decent when he wore an appropriately sized set as a girl."

"That is true...I keep thinking as if she's just here temporarily. But the way Ranma was watching over her tells me it may be a bit more permanent." Kasumi closed her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"You look stressed out, Sis," Nabiki said worriedly. "That's not like you. I'm thinking you may wanna save all that stuff for in the morning, and go have your husband pamper you a little bit."

"That might not be such a bad idea. I shouldn't let myself get upset anyway, it tends to upset the house." Kasumi replied as she stood up, putting her sewing kit away quickly. She quickly checked all the latches to make sure everything was locked and went up the stairs, leaving an almost shocked Nabiki laying on the couch.

"Sis going to bed early on the basis of stress-induced headache? I think a small piece of hell just froze over," Nabiki remarked to herself, grinning as she flipped the TV over to another channel and watched for a while longer before falling asleep herself.

* * *

><p>TYVM to everyone for your reviews, and subscriptions! This story got a much larger reaction than I EVER anticipated. o.O;<p>

My apologies to those who don't like the talking so much, there's some more of it to be done as everyone settles into the situation. :)

Also, if anyone can tell me how to get FFN to take my files and NOT constantly try to "fix" (i.e. get rid of my spacing and indents) my paragraphs when I upload, it'd be much appreciated. I've resorted to using the horizontal break in the editor to fix the separations for now, but it's a short-term solution to me. ^^;


	3. Awakened Conviction

Chapter 03

**Awakened Conviction**

_Morning's rise bri__ngs with light  
><em>_Dreams banished within the night  
><em>_Decisions hastened upon lover's plight  
><em>_Bringing forth the thunder's knight_

Ranma woke up slowly to find herself looking at a bright set of green eyes. After a moment of confusion she snapped wide awake as she realized exactly who was staring her in the face, and tried to find a way to sink deeper into the pillow.

"About time you woke up," Makoto said playfully, not bothering to move away yet.

"Um, yeah, good morning to you too?" Ranma said uncertainly, not quite able to look away from her eyes. "_Someone's gonna walk in on this, and I'm gonna get blamed, I know I'm gonna get blamed for something_," she thought as she continued to lay there unmoving.

"Now Makoto, that's not very nice to pin poor Ranma down before he's even had a chance to get up," Kasumi said mischieviously from the doorway. Makoto blushed profusely as she moved off the bed and sat back down on the futon. Ranma sat up with a panicked look in her eyes and started to stammer out an apology. Kasumi grinned and began laughing gaily. "Okay, now _that_ is the Ranma I remember. About time we saw a little of the old you, little brother."

Ranma stopped sputtering apologies and sat confused for a moment, before she looked at the two girls, realizing Kasumi at least had to have known what kind of reaction that would get.

"Alright, Kasumi, how long was I out, what day is it, and what was that all about?" Ranma rattled off as her brain started to finally kick in. Then she noticed that Makoto was wearing a green set of cotton pajamas. "And...why is Makoto in my bedroom in pajamas?"

"That's easy, little brother, we decided to let her have her wicked way with you while you were off in dreamland," Nabiki commented as she walked by the door on her way downstairs. Makoto's jaw dropped for a moment while Kasumi laughed even harder at the two of them both turning identical shades of red.

"Oh my, I'll have to mark the calendar. I don't think I've had a laugh this good in quite some time," she said as she wiped some random dust off of the dresser. "I merely told Makoto some stories about how you and Akane used to dance around each other before either of you admitted your feelings. And she's been the one watching over you the past couple days. Tofu and I took turns watching over you the first evening after you passed out, she's been in here mostly herself since then. We had the futon brought in so she wouldn't fall asleep in the chair and hurt her back."

"You...were watching over me?" Ranma asked the blushing Makoto, who was staring at a point somewhere beneath the floorboards, and twiddling her fingers nervously as she nodded. Ranma sighed loudly, running her hands through her hair. "Alrighty, let me go get cleaned up, since I'm probably starting to smell like dust myself from laying around for a few days, and then we can talk I guess."

"Oh, Ranma, I took a few of your old chinese shirts, the ones that you stopped wearing after Cologne helped me design your new ones. I had to use them to make a few new pieces for Makoto," Kasumi said as she walked out the door.

"Why does she even tell me these things? She knows I wouldn't even have noticed, I only had a collection of those things three layers deep," Ranma muttered as she grabbed a green dress-shirt like the one she was wearing, and a pair of white pants in place of her current black ones. She stuck her tongue out at Makoto as she walked towards the door. "I'd invite ya to come bathe with me, but I'd probably stand there and stare the whole time anyway."

Makoto's blush increased in heat, her face feeling like it was on fire as she heard two sudden thumps from the hallway. She looked to see both Kasumi and Nabiki recovering from sudden facefaults into the floor.

"Payback's a bitch, dear sisters," she heard Ranma yell from down the hall, before she burst out laughing herself.

* * *

><p>Sailor Pluto watched through the time gates as Makoto teased Ranma, a sad expression marring her otherwise timeless beauty.<p>

"If only I'd been able to see clearly, she wouldn't have had to deal with that place," she commented morosely, one hand moving towards the gates. "Still, I can only change so much, and the future is yet clouded. Perhaps this was just another bump in our long road that I missed? But you have no child in the future that we were seeing before, at least not to our knowledge. Is it possible you hid it even from your friends, and myself? Or did our path diverge somewhere when I wasn't watching?"

The gates focused momentarily on Ranma, the image blurring slightly. "And you...'Avatar of Chaos' indeed. So much good intention in you, your soul is more pure than any I have ever seen. Your only anger lashing out at those who've hurt the innocents around you. Your very being an inspiration to those in your presence. Perhaps you too have need of someone to calm you? Could you maybe be the cause of this disturbance, and also it's solution? Through no actions of your own, everything around you turns to pandemonium at one point or another. And your first and only love, torn from you just as it started to bloom." Pluto's fingers fell from the surface of the gates.

"Not all of us are blessed in such matters, are we? Some must fight forever it seems to find such a love," she commented quietly as she turned and walked out the doorway to the gates, appearing in the apartment next to Haruka and Michiru. "Good news, finally, Jupiter's been rescued. Bad news is, I'm not sure just how much assistance she's going to be in the current conditions."

"What do you mean, Setsuna?" Michiru asked quietly.

"I don't think the Inners noticed it in their visit, but Jupiter's pregnant," Setsuna replied as she powered down to her civilian guise, collapsing into a chair, her weariness taking hold finally.

"She's WHAT?" Michiru exclaimed, Haruka's expression just as incredulous. "How did that happen?"

"Once she was pulled out, I managed to look back into the past to see what happened. She was caught and put in a breeding ground," Setsuna replied, both hands rubbing on her temples. "One of the officials drugged her drink at the awards ceremony at that last tournament she went to. It's a government agency that was funding the place, but it's real purpose was still pretty shrouded. I'm still not sure what was blocking me from seeing it while it was occurring."

"Okay, not quite what I expected to hear admittedly, but how bad does this really affect us? We've been running the past six months without her as is," Haruka said after a moment, as Michiru brought a cup of tea to Setsuna who gingerly accepted it.

"I'm not so much worried about our combat capability due to her condition, as I am about how it's going to affect planning and defenses," Setsuna supplied, her brow creasing in concentration.

"You're afraid they're going to target her instead now that she's more open, and you're worried about how this is going to affect the future," Michiru supplied, sighing as Setsuna nodded in return. "Is our future even certain?"

"Honestly? No, it's not. But I can't tell if that's due to current events, or if I'm somehow being blocked from seeing what's going on. I normally wouldn't think that possible, but since I wasn't able to pin down Jupiter for so long, I'm not certain just how infallible the gates really are anymore," Setsuna sighed and seemed to slump even further into her chair. "At least she's out of that situation now, and realistically, I'm not sure she could be in a safer place."

"You're suggesting there's somewhere that's actually safe from youma?"

"You know that boy that the Inners have had helping them in the past few months?" Setsuna asked, receiving a nod from couple. "She's staying with him."

"You're right. Considering what we've seen out of him isn't near what he claims is his limit, you can't ask for too much more." Haruka said, shrugging non-chalantly, then blinking as Setsuna promptly fell asleep in her seat, Michiru barely reacting fast enough to keep the cup from crashing to the floor.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe he did that just to get back at us for having Makoto tease him," Nabiki said incredulously as she and Kasumi went downstairs. "Seriously, when did Ranma learn to play?"<p>

"Oh, he's known how to for a long time. He just rarely did so, since back before he and Akane opened up, you were only trying to use him to make more money," Kasumi said, earning a slightly abashed look from Nabiki as they moved into the kitchen. "And since then you've only really gotten closer to him since Akane died. He used to banter back and forth with me quite a bit as long as no one was around. One stray word too friendly would have had Akane accusing him of something, or would have you starting rumors. Not to mention Daddy and Mister Saotome trying to marry us instead, since I don't think they even thought to care _which_ daughter Ranma married."

"Ack," Nabiki replied intelligently. "Much as I hate to admit it, you've got a very valid argument there. I should've known he's smarter than it seems. He's too good at adapting in the middle of fights to be as stupid as I used to think he was."

"And I don't think my face is ever gonna stop burning," Makoto said quietly from the door. "I can't believe he said that either! He always seems so...naive, or innocent."

"Well, we did kinda coerce you into doing that, so I'd say we owe you the apology, but you didn't seem to mind too much," Nabiki commented, grinning as she handed Makoto a cup of tea. "Here ya go, nice mint blend I prefer myself for waking up."

"I would have pinned you as more of a coffee drinker," Makoto responded as she got a good whiff of the tea, almost instantly waking the rest of the way up. "Whoa, almost more mint than tea."

"Yeah, that's what I love about it. I used to use coffee for my morning drink till I found this stuff. So much better," Nabiki stretched and walked out into the living room. "You and Kasumi were gonna go shopping today, right?"

"Yeah," Mako replied as she moved out to the table as well. Nabiki slid a list acrossed the table to her.

"Check those places first, I saw a few advertisements from them, so you should be able to get a few good deals."

"But those are maternity shops!" Mako said suddenly.

"Um, hello? Earth to baby belly," Nabiki said, her eyebrows raising inquisitively as Makoto's face lit up red again.

"Just shoot me now," She said as she sat her head on the table. "I know I _am_ pregnant, but I don't want to _look_ like a pregnant woman!"

"Well, you're not gonna pull off lookin like a super-model at the moment," Nabiki said, smiling to take the sting out of her words. "Besides, that first one on the list is supposed to specialize in younger women's maternity wear, so hopefully they'll avoid the old-and-practiced look of most shops."

"Uuuuuugh," Makoto replied maturely from her spot on the table before groaning. "And stop kicking me in the ribs, blasted brat!"

"Maybe it agrees with me," Nabiki said, causing Makoto to raise her head and stick her tongue out at her. "You keep sticking that tongue out at everyone and Ranma's gonna get ideas."

"You're evil," Makoto deadpanned.

"I know, and it pays so well," Nabiki replied happily. Kasumi giggled as she walked in with breakfast, just as Ranma came bounding down the stairs in male form, his long ponytail whipping around behind him. "Oh? No braid today Ranma?"

"Nah. Didn't have time. You know that takes me at least a good fifteen or twenty minutes to do if I'm doing it properly. I was lucky I managed to get the silly thing undone in time to get back down here for breakfast," Ranma replied, sitting down at the end of the table. "You feeling better now, Makoto?"

"If you mean can I walk on my own now, yes, I finally learned how again," she said sarcastically, all the while smiling happily, before slapping her hand over her mouth. "Great, your sister is contagious."

"Yep, sounded like a Nabiki answer," Ranma said, laughing lightly as Nabiki tried to look affronted before joining in.

"I'm absolutely appalled that you would think so little of me," she replied between laughs. "I'm sure I could have made it at least twice that spiteful sounding."

"And would've charged admission at the door too," Ranma quipped before Nabiki could say another word, catching her off-guard and leaving her speechless. "Ow, twice in one morning from the martial arts jock. Someone's off to a bad start."

Nabiki closed her mouth and picked at her food for a moment. Ranma reached over and poked her in the shoulder.

"I'm not used to you bickering with us, Ranma," Nabiki said after another moment. "I don't mind...I'm just..."

"Sorta like meeting a talking horse, ne?" Ranma joked, setting aside his now empty bowl. "Yes, Nabiki, I do have a sense of humor, I can be a witty conversationalist on occasion, and I actually _can_ think about stuff that isn't directly martial arts related. Akane helped break my mind out of that one-track tunnel that Pops forced it into, and I've tried to make sure I don't get that focused again. While I still live for my Art, Akane showed me there was a lot out there that compliments it very well. Besides, a man can't dwell on one thing forever, now can he?"

Nabiki suddenly looked at Ranma as he smiled brightly.

"Okay, who are you, and what did you do with my little brother of the past four years?" she asked playfully.

"I hid him in the deepest well in Japan, and you shall never see him again," Ranma remarked, crossing his eyes at her and grinning.

"Don't make me splash you," Nabiki threatened, reaching for her glass of water before they both burst out laughing.

"Ranma, I was going to take Makoto shopping this afternoon, and would appreciate it if you would accompany us," Kasumi asked as she started to clear the table.

"Okay, not a problem, sis, I need to get out and stretch after that extended nap I took anyway," Ranma said easily. "Oh, before we go, I need to get you to loosen up this particular shirt a little. For some reason it's feeling kinda tight across the chest on my male form."

"If you wanna leave it there while you do your morning workout, I can adjust it as soon as I finish the dishes. Was it still fitting properly on your girl form?" Kasumi replied as she filled the dish sink.

"Actually was a little snug across the bust there too. I thought maybe I was just having one of those sensitive days in girl form, but when it was the same in both forms, I'm only guessing it's the shirt." Ranma supplied as he pulled the offending garment off, setting it down and quickly catching Makoto's attention from her spot at the table. As he walked outside, Makoto's eyes followed him the whole way, causing Nabiki to chuckle.

"See something you like Makoto?" Nabiki asked, not receiving an answer for a moment. "Hello? Earth to Miss Kino?"

"Huh?" Makoto responded suddenly, her face again burning with a full blush. Nabiki chuckled and winked at her.

"Yes, he's excellent eye-candy, isn't he?" she said in a low voice.

"I uh," Makoto tried to talk, but kept finding herself tongue-tied.

"I'll take that as a yes," Nabiki said, chuckling again. "Just be yourself around him, and he'll open up a bit more to you, I think. He already seems to like you, and you both happen to be into martial arts, so that's good common ground for you. Though I'm guessing you aren't quite the same caliber he is, there's very few people who are and he knows it, so that won't be a sticking point anyway."

"Thank you," Makoto mumbled, her face still aflame even as she watched Ranma begin to work his way through his morning katas.

* * *

><p>Tofu chuckled as he hopped down from the roof of the porch, having slept in slightly.<p>

"So, are you just enjoying the sunlight, or trying to give a certain someone a show for the morning?" He asked Ranma as he landed next to the black-haired boy.

"Do what?" Ranma replied quickly. Realization dawned on him as he glanced towards the porch where Makoto sat watching intently. He started to chuckle, one hand reaching back and fiddling with his tail. "Actually, it was neither one to begin with, I needed Kasumi to fix the shirt I was wearing, and didn't even think about that."

"Well, you've got her attention either way," Tofu said, chuckling some more. "Ahh, to be young and in love. It's fun, isn't it?"

"Ack," Ranma replied intelligently as he turned a dark shade of red, causing Tofu to laugh a bit harder. "This has got to be karma biting me in the ass for shocking Nabiki twice in one morning."

"Oh? Finally gave her a clue that you have a brain, did you?" Tofu said, as he started his own katas, Ranma falling in beside him a moment later.

"Apparently her and Kasumi put Makoto up to embarassing me the moment I woke up this morning. So I left'em both speechless as I went to clean up, then caught Nabiki flat-footed after one of her usual comments at breakfast."

"Ahh, gave her a taste of her own medicine," Tofu commented, finishing one kata and moving into another, all the while keeping one eye on Ranma's aura. "At least you're good and stable now. I can quit worrying about one of you."

"Last I checked there was only one of me, unless both my forms count now," Ranma replied, chuckling.

"I meant you and Makoto," Tofu said quietly and seriously as he finished up and sat down next to the koi pond, Ranma dropping next to him. "She's hiding it very well, but the breeding ground did it's damage. She may manage to heal before it becomes an issue, but it's possible the wrong words or actions could send her into a breakdown again. I'm warning you, since the two of you seem to be making some headway, and I didn't want you to think it was just you if that does happen."

"No worries there, Doc," Ranma replied evenly. "I...well, I guess you could say I talked to Akane about it, while I was out. It was a dream, so perhaps I guess you could say I talked to myself, but...nah, it was too real to be just any old dream."

"If you believe it was Akane, then there's a good chance it was. You yourself prove every day through your actions that what most people consider to be normal isn't necessarily the limit of things," Tofu replied.

"Yeah, I know. I just wouldn't want ya thinkin I'd gone off the deep end. But, anyway, I talked to Akane. She told me to move on," Ranma stopped as tears started to form, which he quickly wiped away. "She told me not to let her death stop me from living, and loving other people. How can I deny myself the chance, if the woman I love is telling me to go for it?"

"Knowing you like I do, I'd say you can't," Tofu said, grinning lightly. "So, when were you gonna let her know?"

"Well, I think I'll probably have to get a shirt on first," Ranma replied cheekily, earning another chuckle. "I didn't know women were the type to do that. From how most of them talk, the whole staring openly thing is a male trait."

"Oh, typically it is. Let's face it, they're called the fairer sex for a reason," Tofu replied, grinning wider than before. "But women are prone to a good piece of eye candy just as much as men are. You're in good shape to say the least, so to her you're probably rating pretty high right now."

"Guess I better go pay the piper then, since I brought it on myself," Ranma said as he stood to walk in. Fate being what it is, a loose rock under his foot rolled and dropped him into the koi pond. As she stood back up spluttering, she quickly covered herself, blushing slightly as she looked at the sky. "You all find this funny up there, don't you?"

"Oh come on, Ranma, you ruined the show!" Nabiki yelled from inside the house, causing Makoto to snicker. Ranma walked back up to the house, keeping herself covered mostly, looking appropriately embarassed. "What? Ranma actually having feminine modesty? Now I know you can't be the real Ranma."

"I got yelled at for flashing everyone a few too many times I guess," Ranma said, sticking her tongue out at Nabiki. "Well, more specifically, Kasumi threatened to make me start wearing a bra at all times if I didn't stop showing off my boobs every time I got splashed. That didn't seem like a manly option, so here we stand."

"No, you're standing there like a bad ecchi model. I'm sitting in here laughing at you," Nabiki responded as she glanced over at Makoto. "At least Makoto hasn't seen you in all your red-headed glory yet. I think that's part of what always got Akane so mad at you."

"Didn't seem to make a difference to her later on," Ranma muttered under her breath. "Can someone go get me a towel, or am I gonna have to drip dry out here?"

"Just be patient," Kasumi quipped as she walked around the corner, a towel in one hand. "You know I'm always aware when you manage to fall into the pond, what made this time any different?"

"Nabs trying to poke fun at me in front of Makoto, that's what," Ranma replied, grinning. "Besides, she's the only one here I have to worry about flashing, everyone else has seen them more times than I can count."

"Yup, hit the pond and off with the shirt," Nabiki responded, rolling her eyes. "Saw more boobs in that first year with you here than I did in all the time I was in girl's P.E. back in school."

"Only cuz I'm bigger," Ranma said cheekily.

"And oh so modest too," Makoto chimed in, smirking.

"Well Mom always says if ya got it, flaunt it. I keep trying to figure out which form that's supposed to apply to though. She never was very specific."

"It's better that you've changed for the day now anyway, Ranma," Kasumi said as she handed the towel over to the soaked martial artist. "Knowing you and the way you love to be caught shopping, you would have wanted to change anyway."

"Awww, hell, what did I agree to earlier?" Ranma said, dramatically slapping her free hand to her forehead. Carefully keeping herself covered she toweled dry, before cheekily remarking, "Maybe I should've tried this modesty thing earlier, it's like trying to keep a Christmas present wrapped up while leaving it out in the open."

Makoto went back into full blush mode, Nabiki laughing so hard she fell off the couch, and Kasumi merely giggled as she walked back inside.

"And I'll be right back, need to go wash the pond water out of my hair and change into a different set of pants," Ranma said, heading for the furo quickly.

She came back a few minutes later, dressed in another set of black pants. Nabiki arched an eye as she caught sight of panty lines and a black bra as well. "Full girl mode today, Ranma?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, figured it was for the best, since Kasumi was dropping hints in that direction, and realized while cleaning up that I'm probably best staying a girl for the week anyway," Ranma replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, any time I'm stuck going out in public I'm usually best off as a girl. You know how people love to randomly splash drinks on me. And ladles, and sudden gusts of wind near fountains, and puddles that shouldn't exist in the middle of the summer with no rain in a week, and washtubs dropped out of windows."

"Is there any way you haven't been splashed yet?" Makoto asked incredulously.

"Ya know...I don't think so anymore. Of course, now that I've said that, some Kami is going to go look through the giant book of 'Ways To Splash Ranma', and find one they haven't used yet, I'm sure of it." Ranma said responded, picking up her shirt from earlier. "You got this adjusted Kasumi?"

"Yes," Kasumi responded as she walked out of the kitchen, without her usual apron. "We're going out now, Nabiki. I'll call and let you know if we're going to be out late."

"You guys have fun," Nabiki said, waving from her spot on the couch as the other three went through the door.

* * *

><p>Ranma groaned as she saw where they were headed in the mall.<p>

"No wonder you told me to stay a girl, Kasumi," she remarked as they walked into the first store Nabiki had listed. "I'd have died of embarassment in here as a guy."

"What? It's not manly for a man to be shopping in a maternity clothing store?" Kasumi teased.

"Depends, I'm sure Mom would've found it plenty manly for me to be in here as long as it was shopping for all of my fiancees at the same time," Ranma replied, rolling her eyes.

"Your mom seems to have an odd view on things, Ranma," Makoto said, a bit wide-eyed at the commentary.

"You don't know the half of it," Ranma said as they walked further through the store, Kasumi concentrating on picking out a few items here and there. "By the way, you'd better keep up with Kasumi if you want a say in your clothes. She's scarily efficient with this kind of stuff."

"Anything Goes Martial Arts Maternity Shopping," Kasumi quipped from in front of them, grinning.

"Ugh, spare me," Ranma said theatrically. "You're going for a lot of green there, Kasumi."

"Of course, it matches her eyes," Kasumi said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You should know that, you got a very good view of them this morning."

Makoto giggled and put a hand to her face as Ranma turned as red as her hair, digging a trail in the carpet at her feet with her toes.

"Yep, karma, not like I was awake enough to be paying attention anyway." Ranma said cryptically as she resolutely followed the other two. Suddenly a loud crash was heard outside of the store, Ranma blurring through the racks as she rushed to the front. She quickly spotted the problem, a small humanoid youma who had apparently drained several bystanders. "Oh come on, if you're gonna interrupt my day, at least make it freakin worthwhile!"

Before the youma could turn to grab another person, Ranma had jumped up and over the small crowd that was trying to disperse, dropping a quick Mouko Takabisha on the youma's head before arriving directly behind it, using her knees to drive the monster further into the ground and causing a small impact crater. Before the dust had settled Ranma lifted the creature up, snapping both arms with precise strikes before slamming it bodily back into the ground again. She waited a moment for the creature to turn to dust like they usually did, surprised as it started to speak instead.

"The master...was wrong...about you...weak and...merciful the master said..." the creature spat out vehemently.

"I don't know who your master is, but make no mistake, I've tried to work things out with your kind before. You give me no reason to believe that any of you are worth sparing, and now I only have more of a reason to be quick and decisive in my fights with you. Let your master decide what they want to do from that," Ranma replied, her eyes glowing a light blue as she formed her ki around her hand, forming a small spike and driving it down through the chest of the youma before it could regain it's feet, instantly turning it to dust. "I'm done screwing around with people who are out to destroy what I hold dear."

As the crowd began to form, and sirens wailed off in the distance, Ranma swore quietly and quickly wrapped herself in the Umi-Ken-Sen. Making her way around the crowd, she found Kasumi and Makoto nearing the front of the store as she let herself fade back into visibility.

"Youma?" Kasumi asked simply, Ranma nodding quickly. "Must have been a small one. I felt the change in your aura, but then you were gone. That fight was over too quick to be one of the more serious ones."

"Yeah, that one was barely even worth the effort, but no reason to let it hurt anyone just because I've been asleep. Besides, it was a decent little stretch," Ranma replied, working her arms back and forth with her usual confident smirk. "So, back to shopping?"

* * *

><p>Kasumi and Makoto drifted through the rest of the store, Ranma walked along behind them, occasionally joining into their conversations. A few hours and a large stack of clothes later, Kasumi was looking pleased.<p>

"I think we'll be able to finish up in just this one store," Kasumi said brightly. "Unless you just want to go to the others to browse in case you see something you like."

"No thanks," Makoto responded. "I'm thinking I'll have to sit down here for a bit soon as is. I'm starting to feel a little worn out."

"Oh my, you should have said something earlier. We could have stopped for a snack out at the food court," Kasumi replied, frowning slightly. "Actually, I should have been able to judge that better."

"Oh don't you start that already, Ka-chan," Ranma said from behind her. "If you'd gone by your original thinking, she'd still be laying in a bed. Mako's got pretty decent recuperation, we can just let her sit down for a bit, then she'll be okay I bet."

Kasumi frowned a bit more. "I'm just usually capable of judging people's condition better."

"How often are you dealing with a pregnant martial artist who's recovering though, Ka-chan?" Ranma arched an eyebrow as she pressed the point. "You're dealing with a situation that's somewhat unusual even for us. After all, none of you Tendo girls have ever been pregnant, nor has Shampoo or Ukyo. I'm not sure _how_ exactly Shampoo didn't end up pregnant before they went back, considering she seemed to go after Mousse pretty hard when Cologne decided to annull the Kisses, but that's not even the point here at all. You've done fairly well up till now, but Makoto's a complete unknown to ya up until a few days ago. So stop frowning, and just let it slide. Besides, I'm here if she starts getting wobbly."

"I guess you're right," Kasumi relented, sighing lightly. "I'm letting myself get too worked up I think lately, somehow."

"It's starting to show a little too, you're starting to look run down. Too much work and not enough play, I'm thinking," Ranma said, wrapping an arm around Kasumi for a moment. "Now come on, we'll have'em ship everything that Makoto's not wearing to the house, then we're gonna go out, get a snack, and let her and you both off your feet for a while."

"Stop making me feel like the little sister," Kasumi said jokingly. "That's supposed to be my job."

"Well, that's too bad, I'm taking over, so deal with it," Ranma replied, grinning widely.

"Ranma...how is it that you manage to out-cute almost every other girl when it comes to ice cream scoops?" Kasumi asked as they made their way to a table.

"Easy, I love me some ice cream," Ranma said before digging into the sweet, quickly finishing it.

"Why the vanilla? I saw you watching the chocolate like a hawk the whole time we were waiting in line," Makoto asked innocently.

Ranma groaned and laid her head down on the table.

"That's Ranma's way of trying to say she really doesn't want to admit why she got the vanilla," Kasumi said mirthfully as she finished her snack in a more lady-like fashion.

"But it's just ice cream!" Mako stated in confusion. Ranma looked back up with a very bright blush. "What's the difference?"

"She's just gonna find out later from Nabiki anyway, you might as well tell her, Ka-chan," Ranma said, hiding her face on the table again, leaving Makoto looking very perplexed.

"What Ranma is trying to avoid admitting, is that she tends to get somewhat affectionate with chocolate ice cream. Only in female form, as far as we know, but that is the reason she gets the vanilla even when she wants the chocolate," Kasumi said, smiling her usual angelic smile.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Makoto replied, her face still showing her confusion.

"What Kasumi isn't explaining, is what she means by affectionate," Ranma said, finally looking up again. "For some reason, my female form _loves_ chocolate in just about any form, more so in ice cream, and the effect is even worse if I happen to be on my time of the month...which I am."

"That...makes almost no sense. I mean, chocolate _is_ known for being a food that makes people happy, but isn't that kind of overboard?" Makoto said, scratching her head lightly.

"Normally, yes. But you have to remember, this body was magically given to me to begin with. We think it has something to do with my brain basically being wired fully male, but in a female body, with female hormones and all of that wonderful stuff. All we know for certain is that Ranma in girl form plus chocolate ice cream equals a very cuddly Ranma for a few hours. And if I happen to be like I am now, it just goes straight to my brain, and I wake back up a few hours later feeling like I just came out of the Neko-ken," Ranma explained, face still flaming.

"Neko-ken?" Makoto asked, having finished her snack.

"Oh, right, I left that part out when I was telling you my stories. Most people just want to kill my Pops after I tell them about it anyway," Ranma said as she got up and threw their containers away. "Basics of it, is that my father tried to teach me an invincible technique when I was about ten or so. And it backfired. Since my father _is_ an idiot, he missed the last page of the instructions detailing the downfalls of the technique, and the explanation that only an idiot would try to teach it to anyone."

"Ranma's father dug a pit, filled it with starving cats, then covered Ranma in fish sausages, and threw him into the pit, closing the lid. Repeatedly," Kasumi finished, her eyes closed tight. "I still want to fix panda steaks some weekend to make up for that."

"Ka-chan, you know they're on the endangered list. Maybe next year," Ranma said gently. "But that's the basis of the Neko-ken. The downside is I'm deathly afraid of those animals now, and if I'm stuck near them for too long, I...well, I pretty much lose my mind, become one of them, and I go berserk."

"But...wha?" Mako sat with her jaw open again."How the hell does anyone do something so cruel?"

"Pops is an idiot. Like I said, he didn't bother to read further in the book. At least not till right before I finally snapped and then came back up out of the pit in the Neko-ken trance." Ranma said, keeping her eyes on Mako.

"That's insane!" Makoto blurted out, using both hands as she started rubbing her eyes. "How'd you turn out as well as you did with that man training you?"

"I didn't, not to begin with," Ranma explained as they got up and began to walk back towards home. "A lot of my more problematic behavior got trained out of me by Kasumi and Akane. More Kasumi, but again, no real point in differentiating. When I first showed up, my speech was atrocious, my only thing I focused on was my martial arts, I slept through every class I was ever in, got into fights left and right, and was an absolute ass to Akane from day one."

"Now Ran-chan, that's not completely true. You were actually fairly kind most of the time," Kasumi chimed in.

"Not that first year, Ka-chan. From that first night, Akane and I were at each other's throats. The initial incident in the furo certainly didn't help matters any, but from that point on it was tomboy and baka, uncute and jerk. Both of us too pissed at our dads to admit to any feelings of friendship, even though we were covering each other's backs constantly. Occasionally one of us would slip for a moment, but soon as the trouble spot was past, we'd go right back to denial," Ranma kept talking as they boarded the train, moving back to an empty section of it. After they all sat down, Ranma continued.

"After I had to kill Saffron in order to save her, then the failed wedding, there was no real denying things at that point. We kept arguing, but the usual anger wasn't quite in it anymore. We danced around it for about another year, then finally one night, we sat down on the roof and just talked everything over. We even tried to figure out later what made us decide to do that to begin with, and we never did figure it out. It's like we just suddenly decided it was a good time to talk, and we did."

"You sound as if you regret a lot of that, Ranma," Makoto said quietly as the train began to move. Ranma looked stoically at her lap for a few minutes.

"I...no, I can't say I regret it. It's more...I'm disappointed with myself that I wasted so much time getting around to admitting things. If we had only admitted sooner how we really felt. We were mad at our fathers for pushing us into the situation, we were mad at everyone else who got involved, all the fiancees and suitors. We took all of that anger, and we threw it at each other," Ranma explained as they crossed town. "Both of us were immature children, neither of us really sure what to do, or how to even sort our own feelings. And being children, every time someone tried to push us together, we pushed right back, and in the end we were only hurting each other. We finally realized that."

"And that's when the two of you finally started getting along. From that day, I remember seeing you finally spar with her. She was so happy when you finally took her seriously and started hitting back. Your proposal was certainly one that would've only happened between the two of you," Kasumi said, smiling gently.

"Oh? What did you do?" Makoto asked, her attention riveted, before her sense of compassion took hold. "Um...that is if you feel like telling. Sorry, I really shouldn't pry."

"You're fine, Makoto," Ranma said easily, her eyes shimmering brightly with unshed tears as she looked out the window. "I...don't mind talking about it like I once would have. It brings up a few emotions that I don't always know how to handle, but it doesn't bother me like it would have a few years ago."

"Three months after we finally talked, we were outside sparring. I had on my usual black and red chinese combo that I always wore back then, and Akane had swapped into her yellow gi she loved so much. So we're sparring near the koi pond, amazingly without me landing in it, and she rushes in for an attack. I knew all the holes in her defense, since that's what we'd been working on up to that point. I just had to wait, and she fell into one of her patterns she was fond of, but it left her horribly open in the mid-section. So, I punched through and doubled her over. Knocked the wind out of her, and held her there."

"I thought we were explaining you proposing to her?" Makoto asked in confusion.

"We are. She of course, was trying to get her wind back. So while she was stuck bent over, I pulled my fist back. And opened the box that I had in my hand," Ranma said, smiling softly. Makoto gasped. "So she's standing there, trying to get breath back in her lungs, and looking at that box in disbelief. And I asked her right there to marry me. She still couldn't breathe straight for a few more moments, but I nearly got crushed with the hug I got. Finally she was able to talk again, and all she said to me was 'Yes, you damned baka.' I put the ring on her finger, she starts jumping and squealing. Then she started doing that crying happy tears thing that women do, and being me at the time, I freaked out, started backpedaling because I can't stand to see a girl cry. And of course, I fell straight in the koi pond."

"Oh no!" Makoto remarked. "You didn't!"

"Yep. Right on cue," Ranma said, smiling widely and chuckling. "I'd avoided that damned pond all evening. And in my moment of glory, I step backwards right into it. I came back up spluttering and spitting water. And Akane stands there, starts laughing, and says 'I'll even marry you too.' Needless to say, I had to start laughing at that point, everyone else is celebrating, Nabiki's handing out the reward on the betting pool as to when I'd propose, my Mom is crying because now she'd have an excuse to push for grandkids. Was a good evening. We set the date for a month after she was due to be back from that expedition to the pole."

Ranma grew quiet at that point, losing her smile. The train stopped, and they started to walk the rest of the way home.

"Those few months after that were the happiest I ever had with Akane. That was around three months before she left on the expedition," Ranma said slowly as they walked, the other two girls following behind her. "About two months after the impact, they finally sent word back that the expedition had been too close to where the impact occurred, and I fell into a bit of a state. I don't even remember most of those months. I had spent the two up till that point doing everything I could around the city to help dig stuff out, clear out water, anything I could do, I did. Then we got that message from the college about what had happened. And I fell apart. I threw myself into my training, I guess as some sort of strange mental survival instinct. I got up, and I just started running through katas. Pops would come by and try to spar with me, but I hardly noticed."

"Ranma," Mako started to say quietly, only to stop as Kasumi put a hand on her shoulder and quickly shook her head.

"In a sense, I guess I tried to push myself into dying. I didn't know what to do without Akane. And every time I would try to think of what to do, I'd see her face again in my mind, and I'd throw myself right back into the Art. It was not a time I'm proud to admit to. It helped keep my edge on my training, but it was nothing more than a more energetic version of depression, I guess," Ranma stopped walking, staring at one of her open hands. "I finally threw myself into it so hard that I didn't sleep for four days in a row. I think. I kinda lost track. Doc came out and tore a few strips off of me at that point, and got through to me. That was the first time I pushed myself to collapsing. If Doc hadn't stopped me then, I'm not sure I would have stopped at all till I wore myself into the ground. I woke back up from that a day later."

"That's when I found out about the breeding grounds," Ranma said, her voice regaining it's usual liveliness, seething with an edge of anger, her open hand she'd been staring at closing tightly into a fist. "I was walking back just the way we are now. I just happened to catch a light flash on out of the corner of my eye. I didn't think a thing of it, till I heard that girl scream. That night was the first time I truly felt alive again, since I'd found out Akane had died. I tore into that first room through the windows, shattered them all. I'm honestly not sure how I ended up not killing anyone. I can remember a detail here or there from that one, but the whole night is just a blur in my memory now. I remember Na-chan showing up at some point, and I set her to getting information from the girls."

"There were four girls in that place, and about thirty men. All between the ages of eighteen and forty I'd say. All of them had family honor swords on them, a few them carried guns. I...went a bit overboard in my rage," Ranma said, her voice going quiet again. Her fist dropped to her side, lifeless. "I didn't hold back much. The news downplayed just how badly I injured all of them. I broke all of their legs when I realized exactly what was going on. On top of that, the ones that tried to keep fighting, I broke their arm. I wasn't merciful at all. I gave them no second chances. After I had done that, and got all the girls back outside, I went back in, threw all of them in one room. I shot key points in the structure's supports with ki blasts, then I went outside with Nabiki, and fired another one straight through the middle of the structure, severing all of the main supports. The place caved in on itself. I didn't bother to plan the survival of those men. I'd planned to bury them in there, and I didn't care at the time if they lived or not. I left that to chance."

"You didn't do anything more than anyone else with a heart would have done, Ranma," Makoto said fiercely. Ranma turned to find the girl with tears in her eyes. Kasumi sniffed slightly, and Ranma saw the tears forming there too. "No one could ever blame you for that. Most would say you _did_ take it easy on them. Especially the girls from there. Most girls would tell you that what you did isn't enough."

"Makoto..." Kasumi said quietly from behind the girl.

"You _were_ merciful in letting them live. It's hell being in those places. Every day the same horror as the one before," Mako said, losing her voice as she went, tears falling faster as she wrapped her arms around herself. "You wake up wanting to die, or wanting to kill someone else and hoping they kill you as punishment. You pray for someone to rescue you, and you end up celebrating a day where you don't see another human. I'd wake up, planning to try something else, trying to find anything I could use to my advantage. Two weeks I fought my way out of my cell every time they made the mistake of opening the door. I broke bones in every man they'd send in, before they finally sent in five or six and managed to hold me down long enough to get the chains on me," Makoto started to cry, shivering before suddenly finding herself in a tight hug. She looked down to see the top of Ranma's red hair.

"You did everything you could Makoto. That one you were in was leaps and bounds beyond the other ones I tore down. I would have had to throw everything into that to tear it all down, and that would have hurt too many innocents. You did better than anyone would expect getting as far out as you did. And more importantly, you held on to that fighting spirit even through everything they did to you." Ranma said slowly, stepping back and looking up at the other girl.

"But I didn't. By the time you showed up, I was done fighting. I was trying to back into a corner every time I heard a noise beyond my cell. The abuse didn't stop when they realized we were pregnant. It slacked off, but it still happened every day anyway. If a guard had a bad day, he'd come in, and relieve his stress by taking it out on us." Makoto cried out, tears flowing freely down her face. Kasumi stood back, not sure to get involved now or not.

"Makoto-san," Ranma said quietly, instantly getting the girl's attention. "Girls who don't have any fighting spirit in them don't get my attention."

"I...wha?" Mako replied, confusion now mixing with the pain in her eyes.

"I've made no real attempts to hide that I like you, Makoto. Perhaps more, but I can't say for certain yet," Ranma said, just as quietly. "I may be friendly to everyone, but only girls who have a very visible fighting spirit to them actually catch my attention. You may have been trying to back into a corner. Perhaps you felt like you'd given up. But the moment I opened that door to your cell, you were coiled to pounce. You have the kind of spirit I had only found once before, in Akane. Even scared out of your mind, you were ready to fight rather than lay down and die."

"But, I" Mako started to argue, only to be silenced by Ranma's hand on her mouth.

"No buts. You were in there for eight months Makoto. Most girls I rescued would have been nothing more than a quivering pile of whimpers and crying. But you were still trying to fight. The only reason you fainted is because you were expecting to fight, and instead, found yourself freed. You came out of it all carrying a kid that you didn't want, and yet you can still laugh, and even have enough of a sense of humor to play a joke on me the moment I wake back up a few days later. Kasumi was so shocked at how sane you seemed when you first woke up, that she wasn't sure what to do. You've taken every 'normal' scenario that we have for dealing with girls from these places, and turned them all upside down," Ranma continued on, her face stoic. "If you still consider yourself to have failed, then take my word that you're the furthest thing from it that I've seen. You can ask Kasumi. I don't lie to people. I don't believe in that, I grew up seeing the results of it too often with Panda Pops."

Makoto started to cry again, throwing herself at Ranma. Kasumi could only smile as Ranma's face went from stoic, to confused, and finally to a slight smile as she tried to comfort the taller girl.

"Guess it's a good thing I'm already a girl at the moment, huh?" Ranma quipped lightly, earning a snort from Makoto and a partially supressed giggle from Kasumi.

"Stop making me laugh when I'm busy feeling like shit," Makoto said, a weak smile on her face as she stood back up, before her legs buckled under her, dropping her back against Ranma. "Um...sorry...guess I've overdone it again," she said sheepishly, trying to hide her face.

"It's no biggie," Ranma said quickly.

"Crying fits tend to wear the body out even faster," Kasumi supplied. "Ranma can carry you the rest of the way home, I think. It's not too far."

"As if it would make a difference to me if it _was_ too far," Ranma smirked. "But before we go, I'll show you something."

Ranma reached down and pulled Mako up into her arms, before leaping up the top of the wall they were standing next to. Mako looked out to see a yard where a home had once stood, most of it still in a large pile, random pieces apparently slung to corners of the yard where the grass had overgrown them.

"This is that first breeding ground I was telling you about. I realized part of the way through my explanation that we were standing next to it. If you want proof of what I've talked about Makoto, here it is," Ranma said quietly as Makoto looked out over the ruined home. "This is my handiwork. I'm not proud of that night, but I _am_ proud of the mission it gave me. I won't allow these places to exist. Once I've got my strength back, I'm going back to the one I rescued you from, and I'm getting anyone else out that is still there, and then I'm tearing it down to the foundations as well."

"And once he's done that, we'll take care of anyone he's rescued, and then they'll get sent back to their parents or families," Kasumi said from where she had lightly landed next to them. "When Ranma destroyed this place, he took it as his personal mission. His father and mother took his mission as their own. They've destroyed at least a dozen of these places across northern Japan. Ukyo went out and about as a means of trying to track them down in other places south of here. Tofu and I help him by doctoring up any of the girls he pulls back out of these places injured. Nabiki tracks down information on the girls, keeps an eye for papers showing an increase in girls missing in areas. Ranma's even managed to get the Sailor Senshi to help him track down information on these places, and in exchange, he helps them with monsters that show up now, since they seem to have branched out."

"You all do all this? On your own?" Makoto asked in disbelief as Ranma jumped back down to the ground. "But why? How?"

"The how is easy, we do it with our own strength and spirits, just like you fought back with yours while inside that breeding ground," Ranma said fiercely as they walked on. "We do it on our own because the government for some reason has been trying to sweep this all under the rug. Any articles related to these places are buried in the middle of papers crammed in small print next to advertisements. It's a martial artist's job to protect those who can't protect themselves. "

"Besides," Ranma said, grinning openly. "A lifetime of training in martial arts nearly every hour of every day has to be useful for something I guess, ne?"

* * *

><p>"Good grief, take the scenic route home?" Nabiki said sarcastically as they walked in. She opened her mouth when she saw Makoto asleep in Ranma's arms, only to shut it again when Kasumi shook her head.<p>

"She wore herself out a bit more than she thought while we were out and collapsed," Kasumi said quickly, moving into the kitchen.

"I'm going to go set her in her room, Kasumi," Ranma said as she moved down the hall.

"Just wore herself out?" Nabiki said quietly as she joined Kasumi in the kitchen. "Judging by her face, she wasn't too wore out to cry."

"She...had another episode," Kasumi admittedly slowly.

"In front of Ranma, no less," Nabiki replied. "So how long did it take Ranma to not be a blubbering pile of uselessness?"

"Actually, Na-chan, I'll have you know, I'm not nearly so prone to that anymore," Ranma said from directly behind her, causing Nabiki to jump away with a startled yelp. "And I would tell you it's none of your business, if I were the old me, but Makoto knows now for sure, that while I'm not sure where things are going, I do like her. Far as I'm concerned, that means I help her get over the damage that place did to her mind. I'm going to politely ask you not to go eavesdropping on her room."

"I hadn't really planned on it, Ran-chan. We tend to keep a bit of an open-door policy around the house now anyway, if something's being said behind a closed door anymore, it's usually for a good reason," Nabiki said smoothly.

"Wouldn't have stopped you before, Na-chan," Ranma replied, causing another moment of minor embarassment from the former Ice Queen of Furinkan. "I appreciate it though. She'll talk about it all out in the open I think soon. The fact she broke down on a public street I'm guessing is a good sign of that, but till then, I'm trying to let her decide when and where she'll open her doors, so to speak."

"In other words, you'd like for us to let her work her own way out of it, and not pry at her," Kasumi said softly.

"I wasn't kidding before when I told her I see a good bit of Akane's spirit in her. And you know how Akane hated being pushed by people. Last thing I need is for her to feel like she's being backed into a corner and expected to spill her guts," Ranma said seriously, looking at both the girls who were passing looks back and forth. "She's already opened up to both of you I'm guessing while I was busy off in dreamland."

"She did somewhat. She opened up a little bit, then cried on me that day you were sparring with Tofu," Kasumi said.

"That'd be when Doc clocked me with that strike to the side of my face," Ranma replied, grinning. "That one hurt, I might add."

"After you collapsed out by the pond, and her friends left, I ended up talking to her for a little while as well," Nabiki added, crossing her arms and leaning against the cabinets. "She didn't so much open up as just talked, like friends, but the conversation turned around to you. I ended up telling a little bit of the story behind that first breeding ground you came across. And she ended up crying on me and Kasumi both for a bit. She's trying not to let it show, but I think the constant abuse in there did a lot more to damage her sense of safety than we first thought. She's strong, she hides it better than any other girl we've seen come out of there, but Kasumi thinks the pregnancy is destroying any real chance of her keeping it from affecting her."

"Hormones?" Ranma asked, sighing as Kasumi nodded at her. "I was afraid of that. They're gonna play hell on her in her mental condition."

"When did you get smart in dealing with people?" Nabiki asked, cocking her head slightly.

"I didn't. Half of fighting is in your mind. I've learned to turn every situation into sort of a fight in my head, as a way of looking at things. The rest of it is just me trying to apply what little bits of medical and psychological knowledge I have from what Doc and Kasumi leave lying around the house," Ranma said, crossing her arms and bringing one hand up to her chin. "I just don't know what the suggested response would be in this situation. So, I'm playing by ear. I'm gonna go watch over her till dinner is ready."

"Oh?" Nabiki said, her voice almost a purr.

"If nothing else, I owe her for watching over me those couple of days. Besides, I admitted straight to her face that I like her. Would seem a little odd if I didn't return the favor, wouldn't you say?" Ranma replied, grinning back at Nabiki. "Besides, this'll give you two more to talk about."

Kasumi started laughing as Nabiki's brain blew a fuse for the third time in the day.

* * *

><p>Makoto woke back up slowly, blinking occasionally as she tried to remember what happened.<p>

"Good afternoon, glad to see you're a bit quicker to recover than most people," Ranma said, her face mere inches from Makoto's own. The brunette's eyes widened for a moment before she grinned impishly and leaned forward, landing a light kiss on Ranma's nose. Ranma panicked and fell backwards, eliciting giggles from the other girl. "Okay, admittedly did _not_ see that one coming."

"Looks like your plan to get back at me failed, Mister Saotome." She giggled again as Ranma made a rude gesture, grinning all the while.

"Considering the end results, I'm not sure if that's a failure, or just success of a different sort," Ranma said cheekily. "I'm honestly just more surprised you did that while I'm in girl form."

"I run around with a pack of eight other girls, at least two of whom are well known to be more than just fond of each other. While I'm not a lesbian, I won't deny having had a few curious moments on occasion." Makoto replied, her face still split with her grin and quickly coloring. "Besides, you're actually a guy who happens to be in a girl's body. Seemed like a perfectly good opportunity to me."

"Kasumi and I have actually talked about that a few times. My ki apparently over the years has balanced out to where I'm essentially both genders. Ain't gonna chase guys, cuz there's just all sorts of mental wrongs involved in that, but I don't mind _being_ a girl," Ranma said, her face perfectly serious. She crossed her arms as she sat back up straight. "I'm some sort of heterosexual lesbian or something. Hell if I know what to call it exactly, but it boils down to whether I'm being a guy or a girl, I like girls, don't like guys. Ever since Akane and I opened up and I realized she didn't care about me being a girl half the time, I just stopped fighting my girl side. Akane actually approved of that. I think her comment on it was 'Last thing I need is to be hearing tales of my husband-turned-wife in my later years, running around town and flashing everyone because you're too damned stubborn to dress appropriately for your current gender.' And then Kasumi started drilling proper etiquette into me as a girl, and yeah, I lost my will to fight with it after that. I had no reason left to fight it. Mom didn't care, Akane didn't care, no one else cared, so I stopped trying to fight the girl in my soul."

"So you used to act completely like a guy even as a girl?" Makoto asked, bunching her blankets and pillows around her to lean on.

"Except when I went after ice cream, yeah, was about the manliest acting girl you'd ever seen. I used to wear my chinese shirt and silk pants all the time, just tightened the belt if I got transformed into a girl, and looked for hot water as soon as possible. Of course, being me, and my never lose attitude, I ended up taking on a few challenges in girl form that ended up with me having to be just a bit too far to the other side to be considered girly," Ranma rambled on, causing Makoto to quirk an eyebrow at him. "Well, dressing up in a playboy bunny outfit for a race to see who could sell food faster was probably a bit over the top." Ranma admittedly sheepishly.

"You didn't?" Mako replied, laughing merrily.

"Oh, yes, I did. I used to use it to hide from embarassment too, like ice skating, I couldn't figure that out at the time, so I only went out as a girl. Idiot that I was, not even thinking that being in girl form was probably making it harder for me to figure it out, since I was still adjusting to my balance then," Ranma explained, relaxing back against a wall. "Oh, before I sit here and keep talking like a moron, I got Nabiki to give me her word not to eavesdrop on ya in here, so you're safe."

"That...was necessary?" Makoto's face showed her confusion.

"May not have been, but I had to make sure. Nabiki used to be nicknamed the Ice Queen of Furinkan. She did a lot of betting pools, information selling, stuff like that, and she was good at it. But she had a tendency to eavesdrop on me and Akane, or anyone else she thought she could get dirt on. It serves her well in her job with the city, since she has to have a bit of an edge on some of the people there, especially since she's female, but I think she's managed to kick the habit of doing that kind of stuff here around the house." Ranma looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Actually, yeah, I guess I really didn't need to do that. I haven't heard her trying to eavesdrop on me in a year or two at least now I think."

"You all seem so open with each other anyway, I wouldn't have thought something like that would have even been necessary." Mako said as she sat her chin on her hands.

"Oh, we didn't used to be. I was pretty much an open book, but I kept all my real thinking to myself. Akane was open, friendly, but underneath it all was a deep-seated core of anger, mad at anything that went wrong really. Bad reaction to her mom dying and her dad giving up the art at the time." Ranma looked out the window, her mind drifting back in memories. "Nabiki was the Ice Queen, and didn't care what you were doing, how you were doing it, or what your feelings were, as long as she could make money off of it. Kasumi, on the other hand, hasn't really changed much. Except she used to always be worried about what was proper, but I think Tofu has showed her that perhaps an improper thing here and there wasn't necessarily such a problem. She used to get really hung up on what was traditionally proper."

"Nothing wrong with a little tradition." Mako said somewhat indignantly.

"Oh, I agree. But like, she used to be _really _traditional. Like, you didn't so much as glance out of place or anything sometimes without getting a frown from her. And if Kasumi went so far as to frown at you, that meant you probably weren't getting clean clothes, or warm meals, for at least a week." Ranma grinned from ear to ear. "I'm still not sure how Pops ever managed to avoid getting a kitchen knife thrown at him or anything. Probably only saved by the fact he was a guest and Mr. Tendo's best friend."

"You never seem to speak well of your father," Mako said as she started to stand, wobbling slightly but managing on her own. "I will be so happy once my legs get all their normal strength back. I'm really tired of being shaky all the time."

"Should only take ya another day or two if I had to take a guess. All the walking we did this afternoon is probably the only reason you're feeling it right now." Ranma said as she fell in behind the taller girl, the two of them making their way out to the family room. "But about Pops, yeah, I never speak well of him because up until about three years ago, there really wasn't anything good to be said. He's very well suited to his cursed form. He's lazy, lays around a lot, and likes to eat. Preferably everyone else's food before his own, using the excuse of it being speed training. He's thrown me into a pit of starving animals trying to learn an invincible technique, only to forget to fully read the instructions that told him he was an idiot. He's half the reason Akane and I fought for so long, well, him and Mr. Tendo. He has the spine of an earthworm, runs away from the slightest challenge if he thinks he can't win, and designed technques of his own based off of burglarizing houses."

"That's...a lot of downsides," Makoto said slowly as they seated themselves.

"That's still not even the full list," Kasumi said as she brought dinner in. "Mr. Saotome was also very sexist, felt women were weak, and a distraction from the art. And he drilled that thinking into Ranma's head during their training, enforcing a viewpoint that kept Ranma from being able to adapt to his curse as fast as he would have been able to. Even after Ranma was kicking him around the yard every sparring match in either form, he still held to those viewpoints, unless he was in front of Auntie Nodoka. Then amazingly, he seemed to suddenly gain respect for women, until she turned around again. He's a lazy, drunken, excuse of a parent in my honest opinion, and deserves whatever punishment the gods hand to him."

"And sis is being nice about it," Nabiki chimed in as she walked over to sit down for the meal after having yelled at Tofu in the back yard. "Genma Saotome is probably among my top ten most disgusting individuals I've ever met, once you look at the core of everything he's done. His only real redeeming factor is that that man can fight."

"Yep," Ranma piped up. "I've already came to terms with it. My father, sadly, isn't much of a man. My mother has said as much after learning what all I've been put through. But he did one thing right, and it's what keeps him from becoming a rug in my mother's living room. He taught me our family's martial arts school. And he taught me damned well."

"By the way, Ranma," Nabiki started talking as they all began to eat. "I need to you to go straighten things out with the city when you've got a free day. I don't know what's going on exactly, but for some reason the council seems to be trying to put pressure on us to start paying for the utilities again."

"Even after our contract with them?" Ranma asked, sighing as Nabiki nodded. "Okay, guess I go remind them tomorrow. I'll get to the bottom of it. Hopefully I don't have to resort to anything close to bullying, but I'm not gonna let them bend that contract."

"Only thing I've been able to figure out is that some new guy stepped up into the head position in the council from nowhere. He's supposedly pushing at the other council members to try and push this on us, since they're all the ones that keep coming to me about it, but this guy never seems to come to me himself, even after I've told the other councilmen that he'd have to do so," Nabiki supplied as she finished her food. "Great meal as always, Sis."


	4. Interrupted Tranquility

Chapter 4

**Interrupted Tranquility**

_Winds of ill blow over the slopes  
><em>_Mountain's cloak of ice and snow  
><em>_Thunder's warmth breaks the cap  
><em>_Making space for blooms to grow_

A few hours into the morning found Ranma walking in to the council chambers at the town hall. A line of twelve seats along both sides of the white room, with a thirteenth at the head of both rows. The security guards greeted him as he walked in past the double doors. The end of the room for some reason was particularly darkened, obscuring even Ranma's vision from clearly making out details.

"State your business." The man at the head of the circle of seats asked.

"I'm here on behalf of Tendo Nabiki." Ranma replied, doing his best to keep his calm. Something in the air already didn't sit right. Office buildings were never his favorite place to begin with, but there was a tension in the auras around him that made no sense.

"To what purpose?" The man asked again.

"There have been people pressuring Miss Tendo into paying a tax in exchange for previous exemptions from utilitiy costs. Is there some reason why our bills aren't being written off anymore?" Ranma replied directly. To say he didn't feel like wasting time with the games these men usually liked to play would be an understatement.

"It's been determined that your grace period is over. You'll be paying an extra tax to make up for the free time you were given." the man at the head seat responded, a pair of glasses hiding his eyes behind the reflection in them, his hands covering his mouth.

"I don't think you quite understand. That wasn't a 'grace period' of any sort. I was there the day the Empress herself signed that order allowing my family's utilities to be written off. That contract was stated to last for as long as my family and/or the Tendos are in that house, and if we move within my own lifetime, then it shall apply to our next home as well." Ranma replied, crossing his arms irritably as the air around him started to cool.

"The contract has been reworked." Another short answer from the man in the darkened end of the room sent the temperature around Ranma dropping a few more degrees.

"All right. Let me point this out to you then. You break your half of the contract, I break mine. I stop watching the damage control when I do get into scuffles with monsters and other martial artists. How much do you think it will cost you to repair constantly if I start tearing apart entire city blocks with my techniques? Or if say, I decide to go for a morning jog, and a wall gets in my way? I mean, it's paid for by the government anyway, it's not _my_ fault if me running by it on my little stroll somehow dislodges a few specific bricks and the whole thing comes tumbling down."

"Are you threatening Tokyo's City Council?" An elderly man in a business suit asked from the side of the circle.

"You're threatening my family, and other people as well. At least the only thing I'm punishing for that is your wallets. Withholding utilities as far as I'm concerned is the same as harming my family. I'm sure you've heard of the Doctors Ono?" Ranma glanced around, satisfied to see several looks change in recognition. "They live on the same estate I do, and considering we take in strays who need medical help at times, and end up keeping them there till they're healed, you're not only harming my personal family, you're harming anyone we try to help. Attempting to harm my family alone tends to make me a very unhappy person. Last several times someone's made me unhappy, they've ended up regretting their actions."

"We can easily have you removed from this room, young man. We were kind enough to let you plead your case, and you've done nothing but insult and threaten us in our very chambers." Another man in the shadows behind the head seat responded.

"Then you're not listening very damned well. _You_ are threatening _my family_ with your sudden decision to go back on a signed contract with us. A contract signed by the _Empress_. A contract that _you_ have no say in to begin with," Ranma retorted, the muscles in his arms becoming more defined as he fought harder to remain in control. "So not only are you threatening my family, you're staining the honor of your own by going against the wishes of the Empress."

"Security, remove him." A rotund council member yelled from Ranma's left side.

"Don't bother moving fellas. You're not gonna be able to budge me if I don't want to move, and I _really_ don't want to have to hurt you." Ranma commented over his shoulder at the guards who'd walked in, before looking back at the councilmen. "Apparently none of you have heard of me. So I'm going to explain things more clearly. My name is Saotome Ranma. Unless you're new to the area, I know you've heard my name, if for no other reason than to stay away from me. I've been given honors from the Empress herself for helping with relations with Chinese diplomats, for taking out enemies of the country who happened to be high-powered martial artists themselves, and also for my dedication in helping with the recovery efforts in the months after the impact. There's nothing you can do, short of bombing my home, or sending the military after me, that is honestly going to even so much as make me sweat. And most likely, you're just going to piss me off to begin with, and then you're going to make the cost to yourselves even higher when I destroy anything you send after me that isn't alive. As it is, you're lucky my code tells me not to kill people unless they're using lethal force to begin with. And given what I consider to be lethal force, there's very little you can do that would fall into that category. I'm also the man who's been demolishing the cult breeding grounds that have been cropping up across Japan. Something all you politicians seem to keep sweeping under the rug."

Ranma kept going as the two security guards pulled on him before shifting his arms and sending them both crashing to the ground in front of him. "All of your suddenly dismantled ancestral homes that were housing cultists attempting to enforce their crazed ideals on kidnapped young women, I'm the one bringing those down across Japan. So, I'm going to politely point out that staying on my good side is probably in your city's best interests, on top of your own."

"Again you threaten us." Another man shouted from the side.

"I haven't truly threatened you once, councilman. I'm merely pointing out facts. Something that wouldn't even have had to be done if Tendo Soun were still on this council," suddenly intaken breaths were heard around the chamber. "Oh? I guess Tendo-san's name isn't quite forgotten. I'm the one his estate was entrusted to. Does that finally ring a bell with any of you?"

"If you had said so to begin with, perhaps this misunderstanding could have been avoided." An elderly man said from the back side of the room.

"Don't even try to play me for a fool. I _did_ mention Tendo's name at the very start. This whole fiasco was brought to your council, because people in this room tried to pressure Tendo Nabiki into paying an extra tax in exchange for our utility write-offs. _Tendo_ Nabiki, as in the daughter of the same Tendo Soun that I just mentioned. Unless you gentlemen are more dense than Principal Kuno was back at Furinkan, I'm not really too sure how you could have missed that detail, especially seeing as she works for Tokyo as well." Ranma snapped, his patience finally wearing thin.

"I think we've heard quite enough out of you," the man at the head of the tables said as he stood and reached to his side. Ranma reacted instantly, his aura flaring into candescence in the midst of him blurring forward faster than the man could pull the concealed pistol out from his holster. As his arm was pinned behind his back, he dropped the gun, just before Ranma slammed him forward over the table, shattering a lens out of his glasses.

"Apparently I didn't quite get the point through to begin with. I don't know what it is you're trying to accomplish threatening my family's utilities with your bullshit, but it stops now. First that, and now you try to pull a gun on me." Ranma bodily lifted the man and threw him into the middle of the chamber, vaulting over the table easily after picking the gun back up. He bent the barrel on it as he walked, twisting the trigger till it snapped off as well. "This is the first sign of how bad things are going to get if we lose any of our utilities for even a day."

"You arrogant child," the man on the floor commented, reaching behind his back under his coat, a shocked look coming to his face a moment later.

"Missing something?" Ranma asked coldly, the floor around him quickly freezing over now as he held up a larger pistol than the first. After popping the clip out of it, he threw it hard enough that it shattered one of the wooden doors to the council room as it passed through it. "I _really_ don't like cowards who try to pull guns on people. I especially don't like a coward who has to use it to back up an uncalled for threat to begin with. I think we're done having this conversation. Unless one of the other councilmen has a _valid_ reason why my contract with the city, signed by the _Empress_, should be considered null and void?" Silence hung heavily in the air as no one else dared try to argue with the angry martial artist.

"And you?" Ranma asked the man on the floor. "No one else seems to have any reservations allowing my family to continue as we have."

"No. The contract will stand," the man said as he tried to regain his feet. "Consider yourself lucky that you'd cost me more to remove than you will to allow you to remain."

"I don't think I quite caught that last part, pal." Ranma stated as he walked closer to the man, grabbing the front of his jacket and pulling him close, his voice dropping to being barely audible. "Tell you what. Here's my own verbal contract with you. If I never personally see you again, you get to stay alive and in one piece, and maintaining all of your current bodily functions. You say another ill word towards me or any of my friends or family, and you'll wish I'd killed you instead."

The council was quiet as Ranma dropped the man to the ground, leaving a frosted trail in the carpet behind him as he walked towards the doors, shattering the other one as he went out.

"Consider this day's meeting over with, we'll convene once more tomorrow," the tone brooked no question as Gendo Ikari attempted to regain his feet once more, nearly slipping again as the ice melted from the floor.

"Well, that was one move I'd say blew up in your face, old friend." A man with graying hair said from behind the head council seat.

"Apparently the stories I'd heard weren't as exaggerated as I'd counted on," the man with the now broken glasses replied as he took his seat again. "It's no real matter, the money was at the best only a very thin cover. Not even an absolute minimal percentage of the type of funding the project will require. I had just figured it would be a good point to start with setting a few new taxes in place to help cover where the funds would really come from, especially if I could push it through on one of the public's vaunted little heroes. I'll just have to find another point is all."

"And he's also been dismantling the breeding grounds. That's a disturbing fact as well."

"Yes, Fuyutsuki, that one I'm not happy about at all. They were a useful cover, but not one that I thought would be so easily dismantled. That little cult seemed quite set in their ways. I'll just have to adjust to a better plan. We were prepared for this in case the facilities didn't work out quite correctly, especially as they were a hasty idea to start with. He must be the one who got the girl out of ours. We discovered that within a few hours. He's probably keeping her at his home."

"Then should we send in a team to retrieve her?" Fuyutsuki asked, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing some sweat from his brow.

"No. If the stories I've been told are true, what he did today isn't the extent of what he can do. We'd just be wasting time and money sending anyone after her. He's the type to defend anyone he's taken in. A rarity these days, but not the kind to be taken lightly. It's best to just write her off as a loss to our program. Fortunately she wasn't one of the main concerns, she was just part of the cover floor."

"Very well. Not that she admittedly cost much to appropriate to begin with." Fuyutsuki mused.

"On second thought...erase that entire facility. Release the women, have them discreetly delivered back to their families. Ranma's made it obvious that he knows where that one is, and was able to penetrate it's security getting in, and out. If he holds true to form, he'll go back within a few days and retrieve the rest of the women. Fortunately, that was the only installation we had in that program, if it's not going to work, then there's no use pouring money into personnel stationed there. We'll just divert the funds into the cloning project."

"I wasn't aware it needed any more funds." The gray haired one retorted, smirking slightly.

"Oh, it's main goal was achieved, but there's always room to improve."

"And thus we keep innocent blood off of our hands for the time being as well."

"No one is innocent anymore in this world."

"Perhaps, but public view is the rule of thumb in such a matter."

"Speaking of which, I think it may be time to vacate the council seat and go back to doing things a bit more discreetly." Gendo mused as he pulled a spare set of glasses out of his jacket.

"I'd wondered how long that would take you. Publicity never did seem to sit well with you."

* * *

><p>A small town around the middle of a Japan was host to an unusual sight as a woman carrying a blanket-wrapped bundle and a panda walked down the street. The woman herself, though attractive, wasn't really so unusual, but the panda alone was enough of a spectacle to earn a few strange looks. It growled irritably as the light rain continued to drop on them.<p>

"Yes, I know you're tired of being a panda, but seeing as this rain has been going all afternoon, I don't see much point in changing you back," the woman said gently. Another growl and a slight bark answered her. "No, I don't particularly care if you are starting to smell, you smell as a panda all the time anyway considering you're ALWAYS wet, dear." A slight whine was her reply this time.

A few hours and a warm bath later found Nodoka and Genma Saotome sharing their mid-day meal in a rented hotel room.

"No-chan, I think we've finally stamped out the last of this cult's grounds," Genma said slowly after finishing his meal at a normal pace, a far cry from his once hurried regimen.

"I'm beginning to think so as well, dear. It's been almost a year since the last one anywhere outside of Tokyo's area. I'd say we're due for a visit to home soon anyway. I'd like to see if my son has recovered from Akane's loss yet." Genma sweated slightly as Nodoka reached for her blanket-wrapped katana. "Besides, I'm thinking it may very well be time to pass on this blade. I've carried it faithfully for quite some time. It's time I sought my own, and passed down the family's."

"To the boy? I thought that was only passed down your family's line through the daughter?" Genma asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Let's face it, husband. How long has he truly been a son to me? He is as much one as he is the other. Perhaps your ten years on the road with him colored your view, but my child was known to me only before he truly attained gender in anything other than a physical form, and since then I have only ever known him with his curse. I do not foresee another child in my future, nor is the blade to be passed to a spouse, so yes, to 'the boy' who is my son but also my daughter, shall the blade go," Nodoka sighed loudly before picking her bowl back up. "I was a fool for allowing you to take him that day, but the past is done and gone, and nothing I do at this point can alter that."

"The fault is more my own No-chan. I had lofty goals for the boy, and perhaps I succeeded on some of them," Genma stared morosely at his now empty plate. Crickets chirping outside the window were accented by the sound of Nodoka's chopsticks. "When he closed up there, I realized then that I was no longer a source of comfort to him. It made me think that perhaps...well, perhaps not all things are worth their cost."

"It seems we were both too young for our child's good, Genma."

"I still think you were a touch crazed to enforce that contract on us though," Genma said, smiliing lightly.

"And I think you were just as crazed for taking my child, so I'd say we're even," Nodoka returned the easy smile.

"What about the girl?" Genma asked.

"I'll send her a letter, let her know it's time to return home as well," Nodoka said, reaching into her pack and pulling out a pen and some paper.

* * *

><p>Nabiki nearly bounced off of the couch as she watched Ranma walk back in through the front door later that evening. He was taken back a step as she suddenly jumped up and latched her arms around his neck, squealing slightly, causing a glance from Kasumi in the kitchen.<p>

"How did you pull THAT off you freaking genius?" Nabiki cried as she finally let go of Ranma, her face the happiest he had seen it in years.

"I'm not sure what exactly you're referring to Na-chan, all I did was kinda bully the council. Well, and threw that new guy around a bit. And I may have caused a slight amount of property damage."

"I just received a phone-call around ten minutes ago. Not only did you make them back off of your contract, but the rest of the council unanimously voted me into the head of the council, to make up for them stepping on the Empress' toes. You not only deposed that guy from his spot, you got me boosted into it. The Empress caught wind of it, and added an annual amount for you to be paid to the contract in exchange for defending the honor of the royal family," Nabiki started dancing in place as Ranma blinked several times. "You just set yourself for LIFE with that stunt, free room and board, AND a paycheck to go with it as well. Apparently you keep making the right decisions."

"Bah, I'm only doing as honor would have me do," Ranma said sheepishly, fiddling with his tail unconciously. Kasumi walked in and whapped him lightly on the head with her wooden spoon, causing Ranma to look at her in confusion. "Ow?"

"That's for bullying the councilmen," Kasumi said, smirking as she turned and walked back into the kitchen. Mako chuckled from in at the table where dinner had been served, smiling brightly as Ranma came in and sat down next to her.

"Poor Ranma, reduced to bullying old men just to get what he deserves," she said gently. Ranma could only chuckle as he began to eat his lunch.

"I probably wouldn't have really done much of anything if that guy hadn't gone to pull a gun on me," Ranma said non-chalantly through bites, stopping as suddenly all three girls' heads whipped towards him.

"He pulled a GUN on you? In the council chambers?" Nabiki asked. Ranma put his bowl down and set his chin on one hand, his elbow on the table.

"Yeah. I stopped trying to play nice at that point honestly. I wasn't exactly being the most polite person in the world to begin with admittedly, but I was trying to be somewhat civil at least. Even my patience has a limit when we're dealing with someone stepping on the Empress' contract with us. I will NOT let our family's honor be tarnished by political bullshit," Nabiki blinked as Ranma's serious tone caught her off-guard. Not that he would place honor so high, but that he had placed such an intellectual value on it.

"Why couldn't you have seemed this smart when you moved in? I'm beginning to think I missed more opportunities than I gained letting you play stupid," Nabiki commented as she went up the stairs to her room. Mako's smile widened as she leaned over and hugged Ranma, causing him to tense momentarily but quickly relax.

"I'm glad you're okay. Why exactly did he pull a gun on you though?" She asked as she picked her bowl back up to continue her meal.

"That guy, there was just something odd about him to begin with. It's like...I don't know, his aura was just damned weird. It almost didn't exist. But the spot where it was showing through, was extremely focused. I'm guessing he's a man with only one goal in his life, and he doesn't seem to care who he steps on to get there," Ranma replied between bites. "I had a bad feeling when I saw him, I couldn't even see him with my normal vision as dark as he kept that end of the room. All I could see was a glare off his glasses, so I didn't trust him already right then, but the moment he stood and reached for something lower than his pocket, I had no choice but to react. After I got to him, I slammed him forward on his table, which forced his grip on the gun, and when I slammed him down I felt another one under my hand, so I pulled that out from under his jacket in the process of throwing him into the middle of the room. Then I kinda made a spectacle of breaking his toys, shattered a door, threatened him if he so much as twitched an ill intent in our direction, and then I left."

"And you just call that bullying?" Mako said laughingly. "You're like some playground bully who makes everyone play nice. I love it!"

"Oh shush you, quit poking fun at me," Ranma said, smirking. Suddenly he stopped as an unusual energy intruded on his senses, Makoto next to him tensing up as well. He heard Kasumi's dishes set down in the kitchen, Tofu coming quickly down the stairs.

"It's in the back yard. Just ported in." Tofu said as he moved in between the table and the back door. Ranma stood and calmly walked forward and opened the door, to find a white-skinned youma standing ten feet tall, with some serious bulk to back it up, topped with a couple sets of claws. "Well, that's a new one at least. I don't think I've seen one till now that wasn't human sized and obviously female."

"Mako, stay behind Tofu, this one won't go down like the one at the mall," Ranma said as the air started to swirl and chill around him, setting himself before flashing forward off the porch, slamming into the creatures mid-section with a solid kick, knocking it backwards where it slammed against the outer wall. A sudden roar from the creature as it stood back up brought two more portals on either side of it, a pair of smaller creatures similar to itself coalescing into existance. Ranma dashed back in just as they finished forming, bashing one into the ground with a small combo and turning just in time to barely dodge a strike from the second, leaving him with no advantage and forcing him to leap back to gain space again. A small cut across his upper arm slowly began to bleed down as Ranma formed a small ball of golden energy in his hands and launched it straight upwards, exploding it moments later causing a blinding flash across the sky. He shouted as he forced his aura tighter around himself. "I will NOT fall to you assholes this day, or any other to come!"

* * *

><p>A small business building a distance across town was brightly colored, pictures of crayons and random toys adorning it's signs. A pre-school daycare, Anna's Playpen, the signs claimed.<p>

"It's okay! We've got more toys over here, come on!" Usagi said excitedly to the child in her arms, hoping to cease the young boy's crying. As she picked up a large toy truck his face lit up like a small sun, bringing a smile to her own face. She set him down and walked back to the desk that she and the manager used, sighing gently. "I swear Anna, we get ourselves into more trouble than it's worth running this place some days."

"You just are too much like the kids yourself," her manager said, a grin on the older brunette's face. A taller woman with a large frame, but a trim figure, she was very much a counter to Usagi's smaller build. "But the kids do love you, so I guess this works well for you, and you're certainly not lacking for knowledge on how to calm them down." Usagi beamed happily at the praise, watching the kids play now that she had settled the small dispute. The later-shift workers' kids were always a touch crankier than the mid-day bunch it seemed. A sudden flash in the sky outside caught her attention, dropping the smile from her face instantly.

"Anna, I'm really sorry, but I need to go, something just came up," as she turned to leave, she felt a grip on her arm. She turned to find Anna with a concerned look.

"Usagi, you take off every time there's a flash like that, are you-" she started to ask before Usagi could cut her off.

"Right now I can't tell you, but depending on your question, the answer might be yes, and if so you'll need to keep it to yourself, but right now, I NEED to go, that's a signal that a life is in danger, maybe several," Usagi said seriously before wrenching her arm free and running out the door.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for visiting our shrine!" Rei shouted enthusiastically as she waved good-bye to another pack of school-kids. She muttered under her breath after they left. "I swear, can't they find somewhere else to hang around uselessly? SO much to have to clean up after they're here."<p>

Her senses tingled for a moment, making her blood run cold and dragging her vision to a section of the sky, just before it exploded in a gold coloration. She swore as she dropped her broom and took off running to find a secluded spot to change.

* * *

><p>"RANMA!" Mako screamed, trying to wrench herself free from Kasumi's hands as Ranma slammed into an outer wall, Tofu still standing ready in front of them. She'd have never suspected such strength in the gentle girl, let alone that she could actually hold someone back so well. Even as the house shook occasionally with the impacts in the yard, she hadn't been able to shake the house-keeper's grip.<p>

"He's fine for now, Mako," she heard Kasumi's voice, a slight calming effect stemming from it. Mako shook her head, dismissing the calm immediately. "He's been through much worse, trust me on this."

"I don't care, I can't just stand by and watch him get hurt!" Mako shouted, trying again to wrench herself free before Kasumi bodily forced her back against a wall, pinning her shoulders. She froze at the severe look on Kasumi's face.

"And what will you do once you're out there? You will be hurt yourself, and you will be putting not only yourself, but also your child in danger, and forcing Ranma into an even worse situation. He told you to stay in here because while Tofu and I can't fight like he can, we can defend you long enough for him to recover from whatever would force us into that situation. He told you to stay here so he can concentrate on what he's doing. You go out there now, and you only compound his danger," Kasumi's look finally faltered as Mako broke down crying, slumping to the ground and holding her arms around herself. Kasumi immediately wrapped her in a hug as she whispered gently, "I'm sorry to have to put it to you in such a way Mako, but you're best in here."

* * *

><p>Ranma stood back up out of the small pile of bricks. He shook the dust off himself and smirked when he felt several familiar auras approaching. The two smaller creatures circled around, trying to surround him.<p>

"Alright. I guess I've screwed around long enough," he said as he started visually gathering his aura. His hands started to glow, the air around them freezing faster than before, leaving a small sheet of ice covering his fists. He dashed forward to the large one in the middle, shattering the ice around his hands as he brought them both down on it's arm, a sickening crunch reporting across the yard as the limb bent at an angle it was never intended to. Before the creature could howl in pain he spun, axe-kicking a smaller one into the ground, catching it in a wicked uppercut as it rebounded from the force, launching it over the wall. He bounded back just in time to avoid being impaled by the other small one, catching a gash in his side instead, causing him to spin slightly, but remaining on his feet. He put one hand to his side, forming a small sheet of ice over the gash, grunting at the pain as the ice stuck to his skin.

"Not perfect, but it'll do for now," he muttered before resuming his stance. The first of the smaller ones had vaulted back over the wall. The big one was still trying to heal the broken limb, leaving just the two smaller but faster ones. He dashed forward, a small combo leaving one unbalanced as he dodged around the claws of the second, catching an over-extended arm and shattering the bones in it between his elbow and knee before backflipping over the first as it tried to impale him from behind. "_Can't let these guys get to the house, they're too damned fast for Tofu to handle_."

He dodged under a sweeping strike from the big one as he kicked the small ones across the yard again, turning to face it, realizing it had healed the damage from before faster than he counted on, swearing as it swung with both arms leaving him only a small space between them to dodge through, forcing him into a rough landing on his back and leaving him breathless as he impacted. Both of the small ones dashed back in for the attack, aiming to impale Ranma before he could move.

"SILENT WALL!" The cry brought Ranma out of his momentary disorientation, finding their attacks blocked by a small wall of energy. He looked up to find all eight of the Scouts on the surrounding walls. Quickly flipping back to his feet he backed away, smirking as he leapt up to a wall.

"I'm actually glad I called for help on this one. I can't take these big ones down without causing one HELL of a mess," he commented as he landed next to Sailor Moon. "This is your game girls, the claws on these things are really sharp though, watch them. I'll do what I can, I can break limbs and such on the big one, but it heals them over a small amount of time, and the small ones are almost fast enough to match me. They've got good coordination as well, and they heal faster than the big one too."

Moon nodded, and flipped her wrist, willing her staff into existance as the rest of the Senshi set themselves. Ranma dropped off the wall and dashed back in to the middle of them, smashing them all in different directions in the yard, splitting them up for the Scouts, and remaining with the big one, dodging around it's attacks as the girls slammed it with spells. Uranus' sword sliced deep gouges into it just before Ranma froze over a small portion of it's arm, shattering the ice and bones with another quake-inducing axe-kick. His attention diverted a moment as the creature shimmered slightly, the arm restoring itself immediately, and slamming forward much faster than before, sending Ranma sailing straight into the koi pond. The creature froze in confusion as a smaller redheaded girl burst from the pond, irritation showing very clearly as she started gathering energy in her hands, her normal gold mixing with a strange red tint.

"I am REALLY getting sick of getting thrown in the damned water every time I'm in a fight! MOUKO TAKABISHA!" she cried out, the spherical energy attack burning a hole through the creature's chest and the one arm it had brought up to defend itself. The Scouts quickly threw their attacks at it to dust it as Ranma became a crimson blur, the sound of breaking limbs and frozen air leaving a trail as she flew from one creature to the other, leaving both mangled forms behind for the Scouts to finish again. She stood in the center of the yard for a moment, a small vortex of ice swirling around her as she checked to make sure they were all dusted, her now loose hair floating in all directions. As the last youma faded away, she sighed heavily and dropped to her knees, fighting to regain her breath and her control. She smirked as she went to stand back up a few moments later, collapsing back to one knee as her hand shot to her bleeding side. She chuckled as she winced. "Okay, didn't get out of that one as painlessly as I originally planned."

A small pair of hands set to Ranma's side as she tried again to stand, a warm glow moving through her injury. She looked to find Saturn kneeling beside her, her palms glowing as the wound closed. A look up and around found her surrounded by the rest of the Scouts, all of them giving her an odd look.

"So, I take it we were right that you're one and the same as the black-haired guy that fights with us, ne?" Mars said, grinning lightly. She reached down a hand to help the redhead to her feet. "Would've been nice to know the other day."

Moon gasped and shouted at Mars as suddenly she detransformed, leaving normal Rei Hino standing in her shrine clothes in front of Ranma and the others. Mercury followed suit, revealing Ami. Ranma's mouth gaped for a moment. "Why?"

"You're someone who can not only make it a mission to fight monsters like we do, but then also take up his own personal mission of freeing women from places that shouldn't exist in a civilized society. You drive yourself to limits no other human has attained, and you do so with no malice anywhere in your soul. That's not someone I feel it's right to hide from, and you also returned someone to us that we thought was lost," Rei commented, pointing behind Ranma as Makoto came down the stairs off of the porch, running out and throwing her arms around the smaller girl, still crying. "I knew you were hiding something from us the other day, Mako, I just couldn't figure out what. Looks like it was Ranma."

"That wasn't all," Mako said after she regained her composure, still sniffling slightly as she stepped back from Ranma who put one hand on her shoulder, and nodded at her. She smoothed back her loose shirt she'd been wearing, pressing it more against her rounded stomach. "There's a reason other than the slight wind I was bundled up so deep in the blankets."

Moon suddenly squealed and lost her composure, quickly transforming back into Usagi, who immediately started bouncing on her feet. Ranma watched then glanced at Makoto. "And you said I reminded you of HER that first day?"

"Well, she's normally like you were that day, but this is what we call hyper. Give her a minute or two to wear herself out, then she'll be back to coherent levels of pitch and talking," Mako said, grinning slightly as Usagi continued to bounce and spout high-pitched gibberish that none of them were quite able to make out. Ami sweated as Usagi kept going, Rei placing her face in her palm while the rest just chuckled as they destransformed.

"So, Ranma, forgive me if this seems an awkward question, but is the child yours?" Ami asked slowly. She watched as both Ranma and Mako's faces darkened, matching them with her own frown. "I was afraid of as much. I'm assuming the breeding grounds then?"

"Yes. I was too drugged to fight for more than moments at a time the first couple months. I'd manage to fight off one, maybe two people, but something they were using just left me too exhausted to do anything for a while. Plus I was avoiding the cameras they had outside the cells. I figured you all would be able to track me down within that time frame. After I realized how long I had been in there, and figured that you guys were having trouble tracking me down for some reason, I planned to transform and escape, cameras be damned," Mako replied, shifting nervously, before smiling over her shoulder as Ranma put a hand on her shoulder once more.

"Then why were you still in there?" Ami asked, everyone else's attention riveted to them as well, even Usagi's energy sapped by the realization of the child's origins.

"Because she couldn't transform," They heard from Setsuna, causing her to frown as she put the pieces together. "It's a failsafe built into the powers when they were first bestowed on us. We can't transform while we're pregnant. Instead it puts our powers temporarily more like the Queen's, or similar to Usagi's Princess Serenity form. Even that is on a dire-situation trigger. We can't trigger it consciously."

"But then wouldn't her situation have triggered that?" Ranma asked, puzzled. Setsuna only shook her head slowly.

"No, sadly, it wouldn't have. She was never in any mortal danger in that place," Setsuna said, her face looking even more forlorn, her emotional mask cracking again as she started crying and collapsed, quickly being caught by Haruka and Michiru. As she sobbed, the other sailors could only look in shock at seeing the Time Guardian in such a state. She screamed in frustration, "It's my fault, I should have been able to see something so stupidly simple coming! I should've been able to stop it!"

Mako dropped and wrapped her arms around the green-haired woman. "Stop this! You're just as human as the rest of us, being unable to age doesn't make you an omniscient god!" Tears tracking down her face as well, wrapping her arms tighter around the older woman. She leaned back in surprise as she felt Setsuna slump against her.

"She hasn't been sleeping well, if at all, since we went on the search for you," Haruka said, leaning down and helping support Setsuna, who was barely conscious it seemed. "Come on Set-chan, you need rest."

Kasumi suddenly appeared next to the two, Tofu alongside her. "Bring her inside, we can help." Haruka looked doubtful for a moment, before Makoto nodded at her.

"Let them have her. They got me back on my feet much faster than I thought I ever would be after that place. You can trust them like you would Ranma," Mako said, smiling gently as Haruka relenquished Setsuna to the doctors, who immediately took her inside.

"She needs the help. I don't think Michiru and I have seen her in the apartment lately that she has been awake for more than fifteen or twenty minutes," Haruka said calmly. Hotaru walked up beside her and wrapped her in a hug, her own teen-aged face nodding sadly.

"Even my healing hasn't been able to help her. She's been driving herself into the ground."

"Guess she was REALLY devoted to finding Mako," Minako said, earning a glare from everyone around her. "WHAT? I'm just saying! Oh, wait, that's that tact thing you guys keep telling me about, isn't it?"

"Bloooooooonde!" Usagi intoned at her, earning her a bop on the head from Rei. "OW!"

"Like you have any room to speak, Meatball-head," Rei said irritably, rolling her eyes. "I swear, some days," she left the sentence hanging, grinning again. "Well, at least now we know what all's going on here, and looks like we know where else to come if we need somewhere to talk."

"As far as I'm concerned, you ladies can stop in any time you need to. This home was left to me by Mister Tendo, and I fully intend to keep it the way he had it. Mako's staying here so I can help her, and also for other reasons," Ranma said, blushing lightly as she helped Makoto back to her feet.

"Are you two...ya know?" Michiru asked, arching an eyebrow. Mako blushed as red as Ranma's hair, Ranma chuckling lightly, throwing her hands behind her head.

"Well, that depends on what I'm supposed to know," Ranma said cheekily, throwing a questioning look at Makoto who nodded. "We're dating, we haven't done anything beyond that."

"So you ARE a lesbian," Michiru said, smiling. Makoto immediately hid her face behind her hands. Ranma started laughing hard.

"I guess so, in a sense. I like girls when I'm a girl, yes, but I was born a guy," Ranma said, causing Michiru's smile to turn into a look of confusion. "You've seen me as a guy. That's how I was born. I picked up a curse in my life that turns me into a girl any time I get drenched in cold water. I've still got my normal brain, I just get a female body and hormones to go with it."

"So, you're actually female right now? Completely?" Haruka asked, her face still in confusion, even as Michiru's had cleared.

"I'm also on my period, since you seem to be fishing for just how completely female I am," Ranma said, laughing as Haruka's brain seemed to blow a fuse for some reason. Mako just glanced between the two, not sure to be embarassed or laughing. The rest of the girls all joined in laughing, including Michiru. Ranma waved them all towards the house. "If you'd all like to stick around for dinner, I'm sure Kasumi could accomodate things, but I need to go get changed out of these soaked clothes myself."

Michiru and a recovered Haruka waved politely and shook their heads. "We need to get home ourselves. Hotaru has school tomorrow, and we actually have to cross most of town to get back to our apartment. Plus she has homework still to do as well. If you could take care of Setsuna for us, it'd be greatly appreciated, if it's not too much trouble? She needs the rest, and I'm worried if she hears us, she'll manage to drag herself awake again." Ranma nodded, Haruka sighing in relief. "Thank you, really. We'll be sure to stop by more often." A pattern of lights flashed across the yard as the three transformed and took to roof-hopping.

Ranma put an arm around Mako as they walked back in towards the house. "So...I guess we're at the next step, ne?" She was rewarded with a brilliant smile and an almost crushing hug.

* * *

><p>Kasumi's table was fuller than usual as the Tendo home played host to a few more people than was customary, the spacious table fighting to remain in one piece under the feast on it. Ranma blinked as Usagi did her usual vacuum impression.<p>

"Kasumi, I thought you said I was the only person who ate that fast!" She yelled, earning a chuckle from several of the girls. Usagi looked up from her now empty plate, looking around sheepishly.

"I can't help it, it was SOOOO good!" she exclaimed, falling over backwards. "Stuuuuuuffed."

"So what exactly is the deal with you changing forms? I know you gave a quick run-down of it earlier, but I'm curious, and I was a bit side-tracked as well, if you don't mind explaining that is," Ami asked as she finished her own meal. Ranma almost face-faulted, till she remembered that she actually HADN'T had to explain this to a new group of people in quite some time. Just as Ranma opened her mouth she felt Kasumi grab her hair, pulling it all back up into a tail and clipping it in place. Ami started giggling, leaving Ranma confused as she pulled out a small camera and quickly snapped a picture. The blue-haired girl quickly turned the camera around to show Ranma, the sometimes girl smirking as she looked at a picture of her and Makoto with identical hairdos. It seemed Kasumi had found an identical hair-tie with blue ornaments instead of green.

"Nice, Sis. Basics of it is I change with water, cold or even what I've seen up to lukewarm water, I'm a girl, hotter than body temperature and I go back to being a guy. It's a water-borne curse I picked up in my travels, in a place in China. The springs have been destroyed however, unless the impact did something really strange in that area, which honestly wouldn't surprise me given how odd it was to begin with," Ranma folded her hands behind her head, leaning back against the wall behind her, arching an eyebrow as Makoto took the opportunity to lay down across her lap. "You're going to take some getting used to, you know that?"

"Too bad, deal with it," Mako said impishly as she folded her arms under her head on Ranma's knee, causing a giggle from Ami. The other girls had drifted off, Rei out on the porch having struck up a conversation with Tofu after Mako had properly introduced them. Ranma's hearing could pick up small pieces of the conversation indicating they had been talking about aura reading. Minako, oddly, had managed to sneak off with Nabiki to another corner of the room. Ranma wasn't sure if she wanted to know WHAT was being discussed there. Usagi was still groaning at being overstuffed, leaving Kasumi to herself and the dishes as Ami talked with Ranma and Mako. She tilted her head slightly as she felt a shift in the auras, setting down her dishes and moving quickly down the hall to a guest room.

"So what've you been up to since I was gone, Ami?" Makoto asked, arching her back a little, sighing as a small pop echoed out from it, then relaxing back down.

"Well, I finished that medical program I was in faster than anticipated, and now I'm trying to find a smaller clinic now that needs another doctor. I don't want to get wrapped up in the large-scale workforce of a normal hospital. Given our need to run off at a moment's notice, it's best if I can work in a place that runs the minimum number of people, that way if it comes down to it, I can keep the secret contained." Ami said, crossing her hands in her lap.

"Just a thought, try talking to Tofu before you leave," Ranma replied, one of her hands idly toying with Mako's hair, leaving the green-eyed girl with a satisfied and almost cat-like smirk. "I know he was commenting about looking for more help at the clinic. Kasumi works down there a few days a week, since she's a doctor, too. But Tofu will be understanding to say the least of your issues, especially after tonite, and his clinic while well-known tends to stay small-scale, since Tofu doesn't really want it to become any bigger."

"I appreciate that, I'll stop over there and talk to him tomorrow. Doing so tonite feels like it would be a bit impolite after the events of today, and given the atmosphere currently," Ami smiled. "It's nice to keep things down to a small circle anyway, and I was never in this field for the money to start with."

* * *

><p>Kasumi walked in to the guest room, turning on a soft light only to find the room's occupant tossing in her sleep.<p>

"Well, that'll never do, guess I'll have to wake you back up," Kasumi muttered, putting one hand to Setsuna's head and pulsing her ki into a barely visible glow, her gentle smile widening as Setsuna seemed to calm down. "Or perhaps not, excellent. Your exhaustion was going through even to the core of your aura, according to Tofu. Even you Senshi shouldn't push yourselves so hard." Kasumi kept barely whispering as she tried to leave an imprint of the calm ki she was putting off, hoping it would be enough to bring the guardian more pleasant rest. Feeling that she had done all she could, she got back up and silently moved back down the hall, moving back into the kitchen in time to see the other four girls beginning to group up to leave.

"Oh my, please do come back and visit more often," Kasumi chirped as Ranma and herself walked them out. "It does us some good to get company more often."

"On top of that, it really helps Mako. I can tell she always seems somewhat subdued around the house, but tonite I'm hoping brought her back out of that shell a little bit. We'll have to try to avoid the exciting entrances from now on I'm thinking though." Ranma commented as they neared the outer gate. The group chuckled before waving their goodbyes to the red haired girl and Kasumi. The two waited a polite moment before closing the gate and walking back in, Ranma studying the ground as she walked before being tapped in the shoulder by Kasumi. "Sorry, Kasumi, just still trying to adjust a bit to things in my head."

"Oh?" Kasumi intoned, stopping before they opened the door to go back inside.

"Yeah. Mako...I wasn't kidding when I said I saw a good piece of Akane's spirit in her. She's _very_ much a fighter, you've seen that for yourself. But when it comes to some things, she's almost Akane's opposite. Even after we fixed things, Akane still wasn't very physical. She hugged, she kissed, but it wasn't a constant thing. I think it was still a reflex for her, to avoid making any sort of public display. She wasn't really very touchy or anything. Mako is though, and while I don't mind, it's just a mental adjustment I'm having to make. I still have a lot of bad reactions from when Akane and I were always fighting. I still tense up for a second when I'm touched, small things like that. I don't want her to be getting the wrong signals because of those reflexes. And I'm worried possibly that it's some sort of backlash effect from the breeding grounds," Ranma's hands clenched and unclenched as she talked, her face losing it's usual confident smirk. She sniffed lightly just before being wrapped in a loose embrace.

"Just be yourself, Ranma. And don't be afraid to talk things over with her. You know that was one of your biggest problems with Akane. Just let her know some time why you do that, and I'm sure she'll understand. She seems to be an intelligent girl. If it's the other problem, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, won't we?" Kasumi said before stepping back and wiping an unshed tear from Ranma's eye. Kasumi grinned, "Hey, no crying without a good reason. It's not manly."

"Oh shut up, " Ranma said playfully, chuckling as she wiped her face. "Stupid female hormones. This is all your fault, Kasumi! You and your silly ideas of teaching me to embrace my femininity."

Kasumi laughed as she opened the door and they walked back in, Kasumi moving out to the back porch to kiss her wayward husband, Ranma moving in to sit back down next to Mako who resumed laying across the smaller girl's lap.

"Find a spot we like, did we?" Ranma asked, rubbing one hand up and down Mako's back gently, receiving a nod and a pleased sigh. Ranma's girl-form's smaller fingers were seeking out knotted muscles, gently working at the small spots of tension she found. "Perhaps I should have started doing this before, your back is all sorts of wound up."

"If only I could lay on my stomach, then I'd ask you to really have at that," Mako said tiredly, leaving herself to Ranma's ministrations for a bit before yawning heavily. She grudgingly drug herself back up to sitting, then to standing. "Okay, I think it's time I got some sleep. Good night!"

"Good night, Mako, sleep well," Ranma said as she watched the tall girl walk down the hall to the room Kasumi had put her in. She chuckled as Mako stopped, suddenly looking up at the door. A small sign in the shape of a rose, colored pink, bore Makoto's name. She smiled as Ranma came up behind her to see what she was looking at. "Ahhh, right, forgot Kasumi loves to sneak those signs up. Where'd she get the idea for the rose though?"

"Someone hasn't been paying attention," Mako replied teasingly, as she lifted her hair up away from her ears and pushed her ears forward slightly. "See? My earrings."

"Well, I never was known for paying much attention to people, outside of fights," Ranma said, chuckling. "And they have been staying fairly hidden back in there."

Mako stuck her tongue out playfully as she let her hair fall back down to it's normal place, quickly reaching over and hugging the smaller girl and kissing her on the cheek before moving into her room and closing the door. She leaned back against the wall a moment, a small smile and a blush on her face as she began to prepare for bed. As she undressed she looked down at her belly, rubbing gently at it. "You may be better for me than I thought before."

* * *

><p>Ranma sat on the back porch, lost in thought. The back yard was a mess, but given the events of the day, it was a small price to pay. No one had been hurt other than Ranma, so the coincidental damage to the property would be easy enough to fix. Ranma tensed as she felt a presence behind her that she hadn't felt a few moments before, drawing her out of her contemplations. She turned to find Setsuna, tired bags still visible under the ageless woman's eyes.<p>

"Have a seat if you'd like," Ranma said, waving to the porch next to herself. "You look like your nap wasn't quite enough."

"Thank you, and no, not quite," Setsuna replied, lowering herself onto the edge. She stared lifelessly into the grass for a while as Ranma stayed seated next to her. "How do you withstand your life?"

"I'm not quite sure I understand your question," Ranma replied, laying back to look up at the stars, unconciously fiddling with the new hair ornaments Kasumi had put on her.

"Nabiki has mentioned you being called the 'Avatar of Chaos'...it's a title I once thought was just randomly attached to you, but even my Time Gates can't keep a lock on you for certain in the present time. I have no way of knowing the future at all when you're involved, and even looking into your past can give me a migraine if I do so for too long just because of how much goes on," Setsuna wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them to her chest. "You make me unsure of my readings, and unsure of myself. That's a feeling I've not had since the Silver Millenium."

"I think I see where you're coming from. You're used to being in control at almost all points in time, and being able to foresee possible outcomes, leaving you with room to maneuver towards the desired outcome," Ranma replied, sitting back up and leaning back on her arms. "I'm honestly not sure I could tell you, Pluto. The only control that was ever in my life was being exerted by people other than myself. It's only recently that I've been able to really make decisions for myself. I've had no choice but to adapt and survive, which may account for my part of the 'chaos'. Perhaps adapting so well, that's something you've forgotten how to do with how long you've had your control?"

"That...is possible. It has been a very long time since I've ever dealt with a situation I couldn't exert at least some small amount of influence over. Whatever we're facing right now, I can't even see. Normally I can see, and adapt accordingly, even if I can't fully stop something," Setsuna's brow creased as she continued to think over possibilities. Her face smoothed back out as she mentally shelved them, choosing instead to try and focus on the current events. "I should apologize for the added trouble we've brought into your life."

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" Ranma interrupted before Setsuna could continue. Setsuna's mouth shut with an audible click. "Don't take this wrong, but you need to loosen up. You're human, right? A Senshi, but still human. Even with your Time Gates, which you've admitted can't even fully track me, you're still human. These Time Gates, they're a machine I think you mentioned once when I started helping you? A machine's only as infallible as the person operating it. And don't take that to mean that everything gone wrong is your fault, either, it just means that you're just as capable of a mistake as anyone else. Even the oldest Go player can still make a mistake and lose to someone younger."

"But if I had been able to see this coming, Makoto wouldn't have had to suffer through that breeding ground," Setsuna started breaking down again as the feelings of guilt crashed back over her.

"And if you had seen it coming? If you had prevented it somehow? What then? What of this course we're on currently? Where would we be instead?" Ranma asked, causing Setsuna to look at her, surprised at the seriousness in the sometimes girl's look and tone. "I'll be the first to admit, I don't like that Makoto went through what she did. It's disgusting at the best, degrading, humiliating, and if I find the person that started this cult, there's a good chance I'd break my code and kill the bastard. I've taken probably hundreds of women back to their homes. Several dozen of those have been pregnant. That's several dozen children who will grow up never knowing for sure who their father is, in a home already shaken by the events that sired them. No one deserves that. But at the same time, if this time-line we're in hadn't occurred, I wouldn't have met Makoto."

"But, even your house is suffering because of us," Setsuna replied, looking out across the back yard. She jumped as Ranma suddenly burst out laughing. There was always the chance the diminutive redhead had snapped finally.

"This is nothing," Ranma said as she got herself back under control. She waved a hand at the yard. "That outer wall's been rebuilt so damned many times, I don't think there's an original brick left in it. Kasumi somehow always manages to get the yard back to normal looking within a week, and I'm still not sure how. The only thing I think I regret in this whole situation honestly, is that I couldn't have met Makoto sooner. And I regret that there isn't a way for me to give Makoto some way of making sure she knows who the father of her child is."

"You seem to feel that's a very important thing," Setsuna said quietly.

"Don't you think it would be? Do you really wanna be the one to look at your child some day, have them ask you who their daddy is or what he's doing, and have to tell them that you honestly have no idea?" Ranma said fiercely. "Hell, my father's a simpleton of a man with sexist ideals, but at least I know who he is."

"I see what you mean," Setsuna said, one finger to her lips. "I guess it's like saying that it's good to know where you come from, as opposed to knowing where you're going."

"Good enough way to look at it. Looking forward is all well and good, but if you don't know where you're from, then you run the risk of just running in circles anyway," Ranma said, smiling as she watched the stars some more. "Friend of mine used to know where he was going, and where he was coming from. He still ran in circles somehow. Then again, he also could disappear from a room with no windows and only one door, so I'm not sure he counts."

"Do you wish that Mako's child was yours?" Setsuna asked after a few moments. She was surprised as Ranma's smile slipped away, her eyes suddenly aiming in her lap.

"That's..." Ranma's mouth opened and closed several times, Setsuna watching her speculatively. "I don't know how to honestly answer that. Part of me would say yes, the rest of me feels that saying yes is a trespass on Mako's privacy. But if I knew she were okay with it? Then most likely, yes. The alternative is that she doesn't know who the father is, ne? Well, that's the reality of it at least. As it is, if it's her wish, then I'll help raise it as my own. I feel it's the least I can do, given the way we seem to feel about each other."

"You're a good person, with a bright soul," Setsuna said, smiling as she stood and turned to go back inside. "I'll be going back to sleep now. Good night, and thank you."

Ranma smiled as the porch became her's alone once again. "Thank yourself, I'm only someone who can point you towards a sign on the road of your life, no matter how long it may be. You still have to stop, read, and make your own decisions. Something I took far too long to understand."

A star streaked silently across the sky as Ranma watched, causing her to chuckle again as she laid back to relax for a while. "At least someone agrees."

* * *

><p>The next morning found Ranma having fallen asleep on the porch, her arms folded behind her head. Mako walked in to find the redhead sprawled out in a sunbeam, smirking at the sight.<p>

"He does that sometimes. I think he let's himself get so calm watching the stars that he finally just slips over to sleep. I usually throw a blanket on him, but as warm as it is this morning, I wouldn't bother," Kasumi said from the kitchen, giggling cheerfully. While Kasumi turned to work on fixing a small breakfast, Makoto walked back down the hall to her room, quickly returning with her pillow under one arm. Kasumi merely arched an eyebrow questioningly, then resumed making breakfast as Makoto laid down and curled up next to Ranma . Kasumi's smile brightened a touch as she muttered to herself while delaying the food, "Well, it's good to see your girl form doesn't bother at least one person."

Ranma woke an hour later, the smells from the kitchen finally breaking through her sleep-addled senses to her stomach. She groaned lightly as she tried to sit up, but found herself pinned down by an odd warm weight along her body. She craned her neck up to look down, tensing as she saw a head of chestnut hair planted on her chest. Calm waking quickly turned into panic as Ranma's old survival instincts kicked in, conflicting with a desire not to move, so as not to awaken the sleeping Makoto.

"It's okay, Ranma," she heard from behind her. She laid her head back and looked upwards where she found Kasumi sitting with a gentle smile, a cup of tea in her hands. "No one is left to blame you or force you into anything you don't want. Sad that it took so many losses to bring such a freedom, but perhaps such is the way of things."

"That's true, isn't it?" Ranma replied quietly. One of her hands reached up, idly stroking Mako's hair. "Moments like this make me wonder if Akane and I would ever have been like this, if people had quit pushing at us. But it's not how things ended up, and lingering on what-ifs will only leave me doubting the now."

"You never would have said something so wise back then either," Kasumi said gently, reaching down and playfully ruffling Ranma's hair. "In spite of how things have turned out for us, I think I'm glad for it. We are reduced for those we've lost, but we are increased by those we've gained."

"Speaking of increasing, you and Tofu ever gonna make an addition to the family tree?" Ranma said, grinning as Kasumi scrambled to keep from dropping her empty teacup, her face lit up the brightest pink Ranma had ever seen it. Ranma had to clap her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as Kasumi started stuttering and tripping over words trying to spout a denial. "Don't even try that! You two have been married for, what, two years now? About time I would think for you to start your own family. I'm sure you've enjoyed the practice at least."

"Ranma!" Kasumi finally managed to get out in one piece, her face still fully flushed as she smiled angelically.

"Uh huh, suuuuure, don't wanna discuss sex lives when it's yours up for debate, ne?" Ranma teased, giggling merrily.

"I'm the only one of us who has one last I checked, little brother, so yes, I think I'll keep it to myself for now until you actually get some notes to compare!" Kasumi said, playfully feigning indignance as she poured herself some more tea.

"Uh oh," Ranma quipped as she felt Makoto stir. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"Stop moving my pillow," Makoto said groggily, her hand that wasn't under her belly reaching up and wrapping around Ranma's chest, causing a very feminine yelp from the groped aquatransexual. The yelp seemed to pierce the sleepy haze in the taller girl's mind as she suddenly looked up wide-eyed at Ranma with a very embarassed and flushed face.

"Well it's not like they get any other use," Ranma cracked the joke quickly, hoping to ease the girl's obvious embarassment. Kasumi immediately burst out laughing from behind Ranma, her own embarassment thoroughly forgotten now. Makoto started trying to scramble to her feet, only to be stopped by Ranma quickly wrapping her in an embrace. "Whoa, slow down, it's okay, you just caught me off-guard is all. Admittedly I'm somewhat embarassed too, but that's just the old me showing through from my last relationship."

"But, I, I mean, I didn't mean to-" Makoto started to panic as the embarrassment took a deeper hold.

"You groped me accidentally in a fuzzy moment of irritation. Heaven forbid that you be allowed a moment of comfort, even if it did involve me getting my boob randomly squeezed," Ranma said gently, her face in an almost Kasumi-like smile. "Far as I'm concerned, use them for a pillow all you want if it makes you happy, just warn me next time you try to honk me is all I ask." Ranma grinned as her humor broke through Mako's confusion, earning her a long-winded giggle from the brunette. "What? Those things are more sensitive than people think!" Mako's giggle turned into full-blown laughter, Ranma looking up toward Kasumi and winking at her.

"Okay you two, take it to one of your rooms if you're gonna keep it up. Either that or get up and get your breakfast before it gets cold," Kasumi quipped as she stood and disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing a few moments later with a couple plates. She still had to wait another five minutes for Ranma to finally convince Makoto that the sunbeam would still be there later, and that breakfast possibly wouldn't.


	5. Core Desires

Chapter 05

**Core Desires**

_The Heart knows what the Heart wants,  
><em>_Leaving desires unfulfilled through Mind's filter  
><em>_While Fate decides on the future's way  
><em>_The Heart left desiring feels the past's sway_

Kasumi smiled as she watched her family gather at the table. Nabiki and Tofu had finally made their way down the stairs and over to the table with Ranma and Makoto. As the breakfast was hastily devoured, Kasumi resumed her habits, quickly and efficiently clearing the table as Nabiki and Tofu headed off to work, Makoto following her into the kitchen.

"Oh my, you don't need to help Makoto," Kasumi started to protest as the taller girl picked up a towel to help dry.

"I don't need to, but I want to, and honestly, it looks to me like you do pretty much everything around here. Besides, I'm pregnant, not an invalid. I'm beginning to feel a bit like a leech just sitting around while you all pamper me, I need to give something back, and I'm not too horrible at doing a little housework myself" Makoto said, a gentle smile on her own face.

"I guess I'll have to learn to relax a little myself then," Kasumi replied, smiling as well. "I've been taking care of this place by myself for so long now, and it's nowhere near as hard as it used to be, now that things have settled down. I used to have to clean up every day, if it wasn't a new challenger for Ranma, it was Shampoo breaking another hole in the wall next to the door. Now days I at least get a chance to relax here and there."

"He did mention that she always seemed to have something against normal methods of entry," Mako said, both of the girls chuckling. A loud groan from the other room caused them to both blink at each other in confusion. They walked in to find Ranma laying on her side, curled up with a very irritated look on her face. "Ranma?"

"Some days I really _hate_ being a guy and a girl," Ranma responded cryptically. Kasumi walked away for a moment as Mako knelt down next to Ranma.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked, still not even sure exactly what the problem was.

"Not unless you know of a way to take away super cramps," Ranma said, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them, her face twisted as she balled up a little tighter. Mako's eyes widened momentarily in realization just before Kasumi reappeared with a heating pad, handing it to Ranma and plugging it in.

"This happens any time he forgets to stay a girl as much as possible during her time. The longer he stays male during that time, the worse it is when he changes back," Kasumi explained, walking off to the kitchen and returning a few moments later with a glass of water and some pills. She came back and handed them to Ranma who quickly downed them. "I should have reminded you when you came home yesterday to change back, Ranma. I'm sorry. And I should've noticed it sooner as well."

"Oh don't start trying to take the blame for my screw-ups, Kasumi," Ranma retorted, closing her eyes in pain again. "I'm the one with the curse, if anyone should know better it's me. We figured out this happens a few years ago. Plus I was making a rather concentrated effort to ignore it."

"That apparently went about as well as trying to ignore Usagi," Mako said, smiling gently.

"Stupid Pops. 'Girls are weak', my freaking ass!" Ranma exclaimed suddenly, causing a mirthful laugh from both of the other girls. "I swear I'm gonna tie his guts in a knot and leave'em for a week, see how weak he thinks they are after that."

"You're cute when you're irritable," Mako said playfully, leaning down and hugging Ranma's head to her chest, causing a very bright flush to the redhead's face. Kasumi merely giggled as she walked back into the kitchen.

"You're cute all the time, but that's not helping my belly any," Ranma quipped, trying to curl up tighter around the heating pad. Mako blinked in confusion as Ranma slowly stood and unplugged the pad. "I'm gonna head to my room for the afternoon, that way my irritableness won't get onto anyone. I'll end up sayin something I don't mean and I'll regret it."

Kasumi popped her head out of the kitchen, watching in concern as Ranma made her way up the stairs carefully. "Oh my, now that's not normal. He's usually fine staying down here." She put one finger to her lips for a moment in thought, looking around before her eyes settled on a still confused Makoto. "Oh, he must not want to accidentally snap at you."

"But why would he do so to begin with?" Mako asked, still concerned. Kasumi merely arched an eyebrow at her.

"You're a woman too, you know how we get sometimes," Kasumi said as the two of them went in to finish the dishes, a downtrodden and pained look on her features. "When you're hurting like that, sometimes you do or say things that even you aren't sure why you did it. Ranma just gets it a little worse at times, since he didn't grow up adjusting into this type of thing gently like we did. The first time was the worst. Ranma tried to get away from the cramps by going male for a few days. He didn't move for the next two days, he was in so much pain."

"You look like it bothers you almost as much as it does him," Mako said as she dried her hands off, the two of them moving out on the porch where they sat down to enjoy the sun for a few minutes.

"It's the downside of being sensitive to everyone around you," Kasumi said, rubbing the side of her head lightly. "Tofu says I should be able to block out the worst portions of it, but I think that already was happening without me realizing it. As it is, I'm going to have to leave the house for a bit. We need a few things from the market anyway, so that'll be a good enough excuse. Ranma should be okay in a few hours. If you'd like to, you can let him know, and then accompany me? Your other friend is still asleep, which is just as well." Mako nodded and stood back up, smiling brightly as she climbed the stairs to the second floor, stopping and knocking on Ranma's door. She waited a moment before pushing it open, finding Ranma where she expected, curled up on the bed.

"Kasumi and I are gonna head down to the market for a little bit. Thought I'd come up and let you know," she said gently, setting down on the bed for a moment and leaning over to smother the sometimes girl in a hug. Ranma whimpered slightly, trying to smile back.

"Sorry, I'm just never really too sure of myself at times like this," Ranma replied quietly, receiving a questioning look from Mako as she sat back up. "You can thank Pops. Being raised with him made my mind a bit biased. In my head I _know_ there's nothing wrong with admitting I'm in pain when I'm like this, but it was trained into me for so long that I guess it still bothers me no matter how hard I try. No girl deserves to be stuck with a guy who's a girl half the time or more."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I know better. Besides, you don't bother me any having to be a girl sometimes. You're still sweet all the time, and for being irritable and cranky, you still don't snap like some people I've known over the years," Mako said, rubbing Ranma's back gently. She snickered sheepishly as she stood back up to leave. "I'm actually pretty snappy myself during my time, so I'll probably be the one apologizing in a few months. But like I said, we're going out for a bit. Setsuna's still asleep according to Kasumi, so you won't need to worry about her either." Ranma waved as Makoto shut the door and went back down the stairs.

"I take it we're ready to go then?" Kasumi inquired as Mako joined her, the two putting their shoes on and quietly leaving. "Did you have anywhere you need to stop while we're out?"

"I would like to stop at the bank and pull out a little bit to help with the bills. I don't want to be a freeloader, and I figure..." Mako paused, her face concerned.

"Ranma seems to want you to stay I think, and you just want to pull your part of the food costs and such I assume?" Kasumi replied, a nod confirming her suspicions. "We actually make enough money to live okay just with Tofu's profits from the clinic and what Nabiki brings in as well, but a little more can't hurt any, and we'll also need to worry about making space for the baby soon, I think. Ranma's contract with the city helps us out immensely, even if it means we do have to be a little more careful than some people about what we do."

"What exactly is this contract?" Makoto asked after they had walked a while in companionable silence. "I've heard you guys mention it, and I've kinda gathered that you don't pay the normal utility fees because of it, but that's about all I've figured out."

"It's something that happened during those couple months after the impact, before we got the news about Akane. Ranma was, well, being Ranma. He was all over the city for days at a time, clearing out debris that other people couldn't move, roof-hopping across flooded areas to get people back to dry areas. Apparently he attracted some attention in the process. We ended up with a few members of the royal family stopping to visit us, including the Empress herself. Her husband sadly was one of the people lost to the destruction caused during the quakes, as I'm sure you recall seeing on the news," Kasumi talked as they entered the local marketplace, lowering her voice in the quieter atmosphere. "What happened is she came to personally thank Ranma, after people started watching, and seeing just how many people he was rescuing. He actually had Ryoga and the Amazons helping him at one point, but Ryoga got lost again, and the Amazons got a letter after a week or two that called them back to China. So Ranma comes home one of the nights, to find us sitting there in the family room with the Empress joining us for dinner. And being his usual clueless self, the first thing he asks is what's for dinner."

"He does seem to lack attention to his surroundings at times, doesn't he?" Makoto commented, reaching up and fiddling with her earrings for a moment.

"Sometimes, other times he's scarily observant. He was a little starstruck after I explained to him just who we had for company, and I was a bit nervous myself. She knew exactly what all Ranma had done over the last few years. When he asked her what made him so special as to deserve a visit, her response was to explain to him just how much honor she felt he had brought on his family. He stopped people who she felt that if left unchecked, would have become dangers to all of Japan, if not a good portion of the world. And as you know from dealing with Ranma, there's never an ill intent in his actions. He expects nothing in return. He goes out of his way to try and avoid causing problems with people, something he used to not be very good at actually. He and Akane fought like cats and dogs before they finally straightened things out," Kasumi rattled on as they gathered up the groceries, splitting the bags up between the two of them after they checked out. "Anyway, she went on to explain to him just how highly she held his actions. When she asked Ranma what he wanted most, his response was 'my own life'. The Empress thought on it a moment, and made out a deal with him. So long as he remained as he was, with his actions and his honor, then she would in turn, make it so that he didn't have to worry about mundane problems, such as utilities. Her only request that she added in, was that if he's ever needed, she can call upon him at any time. I think what got to him the most was as she was leaving, she just simply said, 'Your honor is my honor,' as if it were just another comment. But it really got his attention."

"So he has the possibility of being called on by the Empress at any time? And he was extended the honor of the royal family? That's a fairly large order I'd say," Makoto responded as they continued down the street to a taller building. "Ahh, good, their building is still standing. I remember last time I was here they were talking about how they might end up having to abandon it and tear it down. Some foundation damage or something, but they did say it might be repairable." As they walked in, Makoto walked up to the counter, quickly being recognized by a small brunette woman who smiled brightly.

"Oh my goodness! Miss Kino, we were afraid something had happened to you," the friendly clerk exclaimed. As she looked Mako up and down she quickly smiled. "Well, looks like something did happen to you. Find yourself a good man, I assume?" She missed the momentary frown that Makoto quickly replaced with a forced smile.

"Yeah, you could say that. Sorry for not letting you know ahead of time Mia, I guess you could say I had a bit of an unplanned vacation," Makoto half-lied, waving her hands emphatically, hoping to ward off the woman from prying too deep into the matter. "I just need to make a quick withdrawal from my savings. And to make sure the city hasn't been trying to keep pulling money out of me to pay for my old apartment, seeing as they tore it down."

"Let's see...nope, they stopped pulling payments for it about four months ago. Sound about right?" Mia asked, nodding as she received an affirmative from Makoto. "Well, there's that, and your inheritance was finally fully released to you. Not that it'll make much of a difference, your interest on it will end up being almost as much as you were being given monthly as it is. You're a lucky girl, all things considered."

"Yes, I am, I just hope that luck holds out," Makoto smiled brightly as she took the envelope from the clerk and waved her goodbyes, quickly stashing the money in her purse. She looked relieved as soon as they left the building. "There, takes care of that for now. And got out of there before she started trying to dig for details."

"She seems very friendly," Kasumi commented as they quickly began to cover the distance back to the Tendo home.

"Oh, she is, she's been taking care of my account ever since I was left on my own. So you could say she's almost more of a friend than just another clerk. She has a habit though of unintentionally trying to pry into private matters, so I have to be careful how much I let slip or she starts trying to dig details and stories out of me. And honestly, she's not very bright, so she'll assume the worst about anything. Or the best, depending on things."

"I'm more concerned that apparently they didn't think to check the news for reports of you disappearing after that long. You were listed in there at one point, according to Ranma," Kasumi said, a frown across her features.

"The only person in there who would be concerned I think is Mia, and like I mentioned, not the brightest person," Mako said, smiling happily as they got within view of the house a few blocks away.

"You seem to be happy with how things are progressing," Kasumi commented, watching Mako closely.

"I am, I just wish I could skip the parts that led up to this. Ranma's almost everything I've looked for in a guy. He cares, he's charming without being overly so. And at the same time he's sorta like another girlfriend to just hang around with," Mako replied, playfully skipping over a few spots in the sidewalk.

"So his curse truly doesn't bother you?" Kasumi asked as they approached the gate. "I was happy to see that seemed to be the case, but I felt it necessary to ask."

"You care about him and don't want to see him get hurt, just like he would with you," Mako supplied, as they moved into the grounds. Kasumi nodded, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"I was only able to watch as he and Akane hurt each other so much until they fixed things. I'm...not willing to watch anything like that happen again," Kasumi said slowly as she set the groceries down. She jumped as she felt a finger brush an errant tear away from her eye, looking up to find a smiling Makoto before being wrapped in a sisterly hug.

"You have all been far too helpful to me for me to even _think_ of doing such a thing, and I owe Ranma my life, and that of my child. I owe you and your sister my sanity. It's not in my nature to leave such things unanswered. I wouldn't be me, and I wouldn't be a Senshi if I were the type of person to do that," Makoto said, standing back and holding Kasumi's hands. "You all don't seem to mind me, I don't really have anywhere else to go, and even after only the short time I've been here you've made me feel like I belong here. I...I'm honestly scared to think of going back to living on my own aymore."

"There's no worries on that matter," Kasumi replied gently, her emotional mask pulling back into place. "I don't think Ranma is willing to let you go at this point. You snared him quite thoroughly, Miss Kino." Both girls giggled, moving back to putting away the groceries.

"What's it like being a Senshi, Mako?" Kasumi asked after they had everything put away and had sat back down out on the porch.

"Honestly? It's...hard to describe. We're all reincarnations of our past lives, back in a time long before the current world. We were all princesses of our own planets, and at the same time the guardians that we still are. We're bearers of powers that're beyond anything most people will ever touch, but unless we're transformed, we're just as human as anyone else, we just heal a little faster, small details like that," Makoto replied, her face turning more and more downtrodden as she spoke. "That was made painfully aware to me over the last eight months. I've always felt so safe knowing I was a Senshi."

"You're safe now that you're out of there," Kasumi said gently.

"I know, but there's still that piece of me that's scared. I don't have my Senshi powers as long as I'm pregnant according to what Setsuna said." Mako responded, her unsmiling face turning up to look at the bright blue sky. "They're not cut off from me, I can still feel Jupiter's strength flowing within me like usual. I just can't call them out like I normally would. The day I tried to change to get out of there, I felt betrayed, abandoned. I didn't know then that I was pregnant, I just knew I had been in there far longer than I thought it would take the others to track me down, and I was tired of waiting. I was ready to bring that whole place down, innocents be damned. Some defender of love and justice I am, ne?"

"And do you think any of the rest of us would have been any better in such a situation?" Both girls turned to find Setsuna behind them, dressed in her usual business suit civilian guise. "I've been in your position Makoto, if only for a much shorter time. I had a child of my own at one point."

"You...but...WHA?" Mako exclaimed, her shock overriding all of her previous depression. "We've never known, you've never told us!"

"Would you feel like telling anyone else of your only child in thousands of years? A child that you lost due to a minor war that never should have occurred?" Setsuna asked, her own eyes showing a pain hidden for ages behind her emotional mask, her concern breaking her icy control. "Like Ranma, I lost my first love, back in the Silver Millenium, only mere months after we truly began our lives together. A small skirmish between underground agents and his patrol brought him back to me injured and unable to fight, confined to the equivalent of an Intensive Care Unit. I was left with no way to defend our home at the time, due to being in the early stages of my pregnancy. The same rebellious group that had fought his unit set upon our installation, seeking to capitalize on their previous attack. They succeeded."

"I thought we never gained our powers until shortly before the war with Beryl started?" Makoto asked, unsure of what else to say or do, her experience previously with the Time Guardian being almost entirely in Senshi matters.

"They were never officially given to us till then, but that's only the public acknowledgement of them. Serenity attached the Senshi powers to those who would wield it long before then. My powers at the time were still new to me, my Senshi position having been recently given to me, my control over time much less than it is even now. When that installation was attacked, was when I first learned of how our powers work while we're pregnant. When the attack started is when I discovered I was powerless to stop them. I still fought back with all I could, but without my powers at the time, I was nothing more than one very small barricade in the way of an avalanche of soldiers. I was beaten and thrown aside like a doll, only to have some of their lesser soldiers stop and proceed to beat on me some more. I've been through what you've been through Makoto, even if only for a small moment in time. I can only imagine what it was like for you to deal with for months," Setsuna's expression withdrew further and further, her arms wrapped tight against her body as she shook in recollected pain.

"You don't mean?" Kasumi asked, unable to finish her sentence as a lump formed in her throat. The pain and loss in the ageless woman's aura was so palpable Kasumi didn't even have to concentrate to pick up on it.

"Yes. While a few of their men were...occupied with me, the rest ransacked the remainder of our base, killing anyone they found alive. It was brutal, and efficient. They were prepared to kill me as well, but my powers chose the moment before they could fire their weapons to finally materialize. My own powers destroyed what was left of our base, leaving me the sole survivor in the midst of miles of wreckage. It was within moments that Serenity herself teleported to my side, her senses picking up the flare from my powers. The sensors we had in place had been horribly inefficient at getting the distress signal out in time. She took me back to the Moon Kingdom immediately, but by then it was too late. The damage was already too severe. I...lost my child. I recovered the full use of my Senshi powers a few weeks later." Setsuna finished, tears streaked down both sides of her face. "The healing that our Senshi powers give us are all that kept me alive until Serenity was able to get to me. That healing normally extends to cover a life within us, but I was beaten so close to death as it was, my powers were just able to sustain me, and the explosion they caused at that last moment weakened them even more. I was hanging by a thread."

"Setsuna..." Makoto stood and walked over to the Senshi of Time, wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug. "You don't have to carry your burdens alone anymore, you know."

"I know, Makoto, but I'm old and stubborn compared to the rest of you, and in many ways unwilling to bend my head to change. Unwilling to lose the burdens I've carried for so long. But I'm not incapable of learning, even if that learning means that I have to force myself to change at least a little," Setsuna looked back up, the pain gone once more, and a grim determination in it's place. "I _will_ figure out what we're up against, and I _will_ find a way to make sure we all make it out of this alive,"

"Just make sure to get some sleep from now on, okay?" Makoto asked, receiving a wry grin and a chuckle. "You may not age, but you still need your beauty sleep. Bags don't look any better under your eyes than ours."

* * *

><p>Usagi walked into the daycare around mid-day, some time before her usual shift start, only to find Anna looking at her oddly. "<em>Awww crap<em>," she thought despondently, still not quite fully awake for the day.

"Please tell me you're looking at me for a good reason," Usagi intoned, figuring it best to just get whatever out of the way early. Her and Anna didn't actually start taking care of any of the kids until the afternoon as it was, since Anna specifically hired a morning crew to take care of the first half of the day.

"It's about yesterday, and if it's what I'm guessing it is, then your secret's safe with me, but I just want to make sure I'm right, is all," Anna commented quietly as they moved towards her office and closed the door. The dark-haired woman leaned back against her desk, crossing her arms. "You're one of the Senshi, aren't you?"

"I am," Usagi replied simply. No use trying to hide it really if someone figured out that much of it, and it wasn't like she could hide it at this point considering the situations.

"I'm not concerned with which one you are, even if I can take my guesses. I just wanted to make sure. I've had girls before who liked to be able to run off at the drop of a hat, and I've heard so many excuses it's ridiculous. But you, every time you have to do that, there's a look in your eyes I can't always place," Anna commented slowly, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "If that's the case, then I'm not too concerned. After all, I mostly hired you since the kids like to randomly explode into the kind of chaos only kids are capable of, and I was tired of being the only one to handle it every single night. And that _would_ take precedence over a day-care, much as I dislike the idea of downplaying my own business."

"It's not that I don't care about your business, Anna, and you know that I'm assuming, since we're having this talk. But I can't just sit by when I know there are lives in danger. I've seen lives ruined, and seen some lost in my care. I can't just stand by when I know there's a life that I can save. And those explosions you see, are from a friend of the Senshi, whenever he runs into trouble that he knows he can't handle on his own."

"That would be Saotome Ranma then," Anna said quickly, smirking as Usagi looked up in concern. "Believe it or not, his actions are pretty well known, even though he's never on the main news channels. That's the result from a direct order of the Empress. For a short while after the impact and the floods, he was on the news almost every night, then suddenly disappeared. There's a small group online who like to keep track of his more public happenings. They caught the pattern of that particular type of explosion. And they were able to track down that order from the Empress. I hear they've got an informant who's tied in directly with the family, but the only information they have is that it's a girl. She won't reveal any more of her connection to them."

"I think I know who that might be, but it wouldn't be right of me to say," Usagi mused, one hand scratching the side of her head.

"So what's it like? We have some time before we're supposed to take over the front anyway, so why not chit-chat? And perhaps you can explain how you managed to be early today instead of coming in here screaming five minutes late," Anna asked, a broad smile on her face as she took her seat behind the desk. Usagi grinned in return and sat down in one of the other chairs.

* * *

><p>Ranma woke to find her stomach in a considerably less intense knot, and couldn't recall even having fallen asleep.<p>

"Damnit, Pops, definitely turning him into a pretzel since this is mostly his fault," She muttered as she stood and went down the hall to the bathroom, missing the occupied sign in her groggy state of mind. She sat there with her eyes closed, trying to will herself more awake as she took care of business. She then went straight into panic mode as she heard the door slide open, just enough clarity to realize it was not the door from the outside. Immediately covering her face with her hands, she sat and shook in anticipation, old reflexes still in place. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, please don't mallet me!" A throaty chuckle she almost didn't place snapped her out of panic mode, though she chose to keep her eyes covered still.

"Well, I guess it's true what Makoto was saying about you being innocent. Most men your age would be taking the opportunity to peek, knowing they're gonna get slapped one way or the other," she heard Setsuna comment, even as she heard the rustling of clothing. Another throaty chuckle followed. "Oh perhaps if you were single, then maybe I'd have some fun with you, but you're not, so that's that. Don't be quite so prude with Makoto though. She's not the type who will take rejection of that sort well."

Ranma opened her eyes after she heard the outside door shut. "Wait, did I just get hit on, or was that dating advice? GAH! Women confuse me! And I AM one!"

* * *

><p>Makoto looked up at the stairs to see a mirthfully smiling and chuckling Setsuna coming back down. "Well you look much better now that you're cleaned up," she remarked, only for Setsuna to laugh a little more.<p>

"Well, I'd ask Ranma when she comes down if that's true, but she wouldn't uncover her eyes for anything. She walked in and was still waking up and taking care of the usual, apparently was still too sleepy to see the sign," Setsuna smiled playfully, noticing the look of irritation on Makoto's face. "Don't you worry, she slapped her hands over her eyes the moment she realized what was going on, and never moved them. To say she has eyes only for you would be putting it lightly. She didn't even try to do anything other than apologize for not realizing the sign was out."

"She still should've known better," Makoto replied, before being given a stern yet gentle look from Kasumi. "What?"

"Honk," Kasumi answered cryptically, smiling as the green-eyed brunette blinked and then blushed in embarrassment as she realized what exactly she was thinking.

"Hello hormones, leave my rationality alone now please," Makoto muttered as she sat her face in her hands. She smiled as she heard footsteps on the stairs, looking up to see a certain redhead coming down them in a blue dress-shirt with red pants, getting up and quickly wrapping the smaller woman in a warm hug. "Morning!"

Setsuna smiled and left the two their privacy a moment, moving into the kitchen with Kasumi. "They make a cute couple, don't they?"

"Yes, and they're moving quite fast it seems," Kasumi replied, her smile faltering a moment before she got it back in place.

"You're worried that they're moving too fast it sounds like," Setsuna commented, leaning against a portion of the counter Kasumi wasn't using.

"I'm more worried that they're going to end up having a fight somewhere along the line, and since they were so fast to move together, they'll be even faster to blow apart," Kasumi said, testing a small taste of the soup she was fixing. She smiled happily. "Nearly ready, I think."

"Have you taken Makoto to have the child checked on yet?" Setsuna asked quietly, Kasumi shaking her head. "Try and do so tomorrow, and make sure to get a paternity test. She may fuss a little bit at the idea, but you'll be able to convince her I think. She respects you a lot. And since they did that DNA check on everyone back just after the impact, there's no need to have anyone other than her for a DNA test. If nothing else, she can at least get a name placed to the child's father."

"Will she really want to, after what she went through?" Kasumi replied, her brow creasing momentarily as she tried to .

"I think the answer will surprise you, at least if I have my way with matters."

"What do you mean?" Kasumi replied, eyeing the guardian warily. People who dealt with magic of any sort had always made her uneasy, for good reason after everything her family had been through.

"Let's just say I'm not completely without some influence," Setsuna smiled, an angelic smile that wouldn't have been out of place on Kasumi's face, had it not been for the devious gleam in her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Feeling better?" Makoto inquired of Ranma as they sat down at the table, her mood brightened considerably with Ranma's reappearance.<p>

"Yeah, sorry about that, I just didn't wanna risk accidentally saying something I'd regret while I was like that. Kasumi says it's natural for it to happen, but I don't personally like doing that to people anyway, even if they _do_ know it's just me being bitchy. Hurt is hurt, ya know?" Ranma slowly responded, Setsuna's 'advice' still digging through her skull to the place where logic got figured out. She let out a soft groan as Makoto suddenly planted herself in the shorter girl's lap. Ranma could only smirk and playfully poke fun at the situation. "I get the feeling I'm a cushion now."

"You're warm, soft but firm, and you make me feel safe." Mako replied, wiggling her hips and leaning back against Ranma.

"And I'm smaller than you when I'm a girl, which just makes the whole thing silly." Ranma supplied, her smirk quickly falling from her face as Makoto suddenly turned her head around, no smile in sight.

"You think it's silly that I like being in your lap?" Mako asked harshly. Ranma merely put her hands up in deference and closed her eyes.

"I don't think that part of it is silly at all. I just think we make an odd appearance, you being taller than my girl form to begin with. Actually, now that I think about it, you're as tall as my male form too." Ranma realized that for some reason Makoto wasn't buying the reasoning. So instead she wrapped her arms around the larger girl, being careful not to squeeze too hard on her stomach as she hugged her. "I meant nothing by that comment, I was just saying the size difference is amusing. That's all, honest."

"Damn you," Makoto said quietly. Ranma's hands on her belly were for some reason quickly making her lose her current aggravation. "I can't stay mad at you."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ranma said, quickly sneaking a soft kiss on the back of Mako's neck. A shiver went through the taller girl's frame.

"If you keep paying attention to me like that, yes, very good thing," Mako replied, her eyes growing heavy lidded and the breath catching in her throat as she realized from the two points in her back that she wasn't the only one gaining pleasure from the current situation. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she squirmed to get out of Ranma's lap, running down the hall to her room, leaving a very confused martial artist in her wake as the door was heard closing loudly. Kasumi stuck her head out of the kitchen, quickly followed by Setsuna, both of whom looked immediately at a certain redhead with an accusatory look.

"Well, I'm not sure what just happened there," Ranma stated, scratching the back of her head. She quickly held her hands up in the usual 'please don't kill me' pose as she explained. "One moment she was in my lap, then mad at me, then not mad at me and very much enjoying herself it seemed, and then suddenly she's up and out of my lap like a lightning bolt." Ranma's look went from worried to sad the more she explained. "I must have done something wrong, only thing I can think of."

"I...don't think that was you, Ranma," Setsuna supplied, one hand poised under her chin, the other on her hip as Kasumi walked back into the kitchen. "I'll go talk with her, see if maybe I can help. If not, then we'll let her sit for a bit and let Kasumi talk to her."

"Be careful, Setsuna-san. She's almost as upset now as she was the night after we brought her back out," Kasumi said softly from in the kitchen, to which Setsuna nodded before moving down the hall. She glanced out at Ranma who was looking into her own lap, the Wild Horse thoroughly stopped, her blue eyes a testament to confusion. "_And things were moving so well, too..._"

* * *

><p>"Can I come in?" Setsuna announced, before opening the door just a crack, only to find Makoto seated in the far corner of the room, both arms wrapped around her swollen tummy, rivulets of tears flowing freely down her face as the Senshi of Jupiter shook with the force of her sobs. Setsuna walked over and sat down gently next to her, wrapping an arm around the younger girl. "It's not easy to recover from, is it? The memories flash in at the worst times, and they leave you feeling tainted in a way nothing else ever will."<p>

"I couldn't help it," Makoto said quietly, barely a whisper between the crying, her eyes dull and lifeless, never once looking upwards. "I was starting to enjoy myself, and when I realized Ranma was too, something just snapped. I got scared, I'm moving too fast! I had to run, and I don't even know why, something inside of me just freaked out."

"You can't help what was done to you Makoto, and you _will_ recover. You've found a man who's able to know just how vulnerable it actually feels to be a woman. He still has a few rough edges left it seems, and still maintains a level of innocence that I honestly don't understand after everything he's been through, but above all else, he's the purest soul I think we've ever encountered." Setsuna quietly spoke, doing her level best to keep any negative emotions from her voice. She knew just how fragile the woman she was talking to truly was. Memories of her own past flashed in here and there, causing her to frown before she shoved them from her mind, dragging what she could remember of healing from them to the fore. Millenia ago, and the memories were still fresh scars on her mind.

"What does it matter? Someone that pure won't want some used girl like me, he could have any girl he wants, there's no reason for him to do anything with me other than out of a sense of pity, and I'm sure that's the only reason he's reacting like he is," Makoto retorted angrily, wrapping her arms around her head and trying to compact herself even further into her corner.

"What pity? When has Ranma ever shown you pity? I have seen sympathy from him, or her as the case has been mostly as of late, but I have looked through Ranma's entire life. There is very little pity from someone like him." Setsuna had a bad feeling where this was headed.

"How could it be anything else? I'm _pregnant_ Setsuna, with a child who's father could be anyone as far as I know! Why would any self-respecting man want me as I am? I was left to rot in a hellish dungeon of a building for eight damned months while men just came and shoved themselves inside me at their own damned leisure! In the end I couldn't even break myself free of it when the time came! I ended up being nothing more than just another damned pregnant whore for-" Mako's tirade steadily gained speed and volume as she continue down her path of self-depreciation, before suddenly coming to a stop as a sharp crack sounded through the room. Setsuna's reddened hand drew back, her palm stinging with the force she had used, tears in her own eyes more-so than the girl who's face had just been slapped.

"You are _nothing_ they would have you be! Serenity's _chosen_ will never be anyone's slaves, no one's simple whores. We were chosen because we are made of something tougher. You've defeated youma after youma, died defending your friends in the fight against Beryl, and stood against Pharoah 90 and Galaxia. And you're going to choose to let yourself be defeated by a bunch of men who can't pull their brains out of their dicks?" Setsuna's fury abated a bit as she saw Makoto's eyes harden slightly at that thought. "Somehow I didn't think you were the type to let that happen. Or were you going to let yourself seize up and panic like this any time someone gets close to you?"

"I'm sorry, it's just-" Makoto found herself wrapped in yet another emotional hug from the green-haired Senshi of Time.

"I know what it is. I know those feelings Mako. I've lived through it myself, I suffered with the relapses and flashbacks too. Where other people are scared to imagine what it would be like, I don't have to. It's happened to me too, and even thousands of years later, the memories are still just as fresh on my mind as they were the day after. I lost my _child_ to them, Makoto." Setsuna's grief threatened to overtake her once more, breaking through her steady voice for a moment before she resolutely shoved it back into the corner it had sat in for eons. "_Personal feelings be damned, I'll not let someone else suffer alone through this. Serenity didn't let me, and she'd never forgive me, either._"

"I'm a fool, aren't I? Here I am, with a child of my own inside me, a man who's everything a girl could ask for, a family that encompasses everyone they meet, and I run away like a damned idiot," Mako tried to wipe her eyes dry.

"A fool? No, a fool would never realize what they have. You have. You're a young woman who's been through a truly traumatizing experience, who's still scared of the results of what's happened. Who has an unknown future ahead of her, a concern for that future still growing within her. Your hormones are imbalanced from your pregnancy, and your mind is imbalanced from your trauma. To some people, it would be a wonder you can even hold a conversation. Most girls would still be in that corner whimpering, and would have been doing so this entire week," Setsuna watched proudly as Jupiter's usually bright green eyes began to recover their spark, the dulled look fading the more she spoke. She was surprised as the shaking woman flung herself forward to wrap her fellow Senshi in a crushing hug, suddenly remembering why the girl was given the title of Strongest Senshi before Haruka had showed up. As she caught her breath once more, she held the tall brunette at arm's length by the shoulders. "You _can_ recover from this Makoto. Just don't shut yourself off from those who love you. And don't deny yourself the chance to experience pleasure again. You will still occasionally be haunted by those memories of what happened to you, but if you truly want to, you can replace them. It's just up to you."

"Thank you, Setsuna. Even for slapping me," Makoto responded finally, her bright smile showing itself once more.

"I'm curious. What would you have done in a timeline where you had met Ranma before the breeding grounds?" Setsuna mused, half to herself. A light laugh and a smile found their way to her face as she placed a hand on Mako's belly just in time to feel a firm kick. "I dare say this one would have been his instead." Setsuna could only laugh at Makoto's sudden bright blush. "You wish it had been the case, don't you?"

"Well I certainly can't think of anyone _else's_ child I'd rather be having right now, all things considered, but I doubt we're _that_ close yet," Makoto replied, rolling her eyes, her face flushing even more at the thought of such a thing. "I'm just hoping I'm not actually on some sort of rebound or something, I'd hate myself if that were the case."

"Do you want it to be a rebound relationship?" Setsuna asked, frowning slightly.

"No, I don't, and that's why I'm hoping so much that it's not," Makoto replied, smiling happily, her eyes thoughtful. "No, I don't think it is. I won't let it be."

"Will you be okay now?" Setsuna asked as she turned to leave the room.

"I think so. I'm going to stay in here for a bit. I...think I'll meditate for a while. I haven't done so since I was rescued, and even though I was never very good at it before, it does help sometimes to calm me down." Mako responded, gently setting herself on the futon. Setsuna smiled as she closed the door and trekked down the hall back to the main room, not surprised to find Ranma pinning her with a stare that could pierce walls with it's intensity, sapphire eyes glowing lightly with the controlled ki contained within the small frame. She sighed since she had a good idea what was the problem.

"Yes, before you ask, it was necessary to slap her. I needed a way to stop her before she drew herself any further into a panic attack," Setsuna said, her face stony as she crossed her arms. She was pleased to see Ranma's face ease slowly back to a merely neutral countenance.

"Sorry, I've never been good with situations like that. I owe Kasumi, she actually stopped me before I could get up to come down the hall after I heard that." Ranma blew out a breath as she visibly relaxed, her back slumping slightly. "So was I right? It's something I did, isn't it?"

"Actually, you're fine, this is the fault of the breeding grounds," Setsuna replied, carefully watching Ranma in an attempt to head off any ill-conceived plans. When Ranma's face went from depressed instead to the concentrated look she had seen during the fight with the youma, Setsuna grudgingly admitted to herself that she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop the martial artist to begin with. "What you were doing honestly is what I would suggest to begin with. It'll be a slow process, and I'm sure Kasumi would be able to tell you the same thing. She's _not_ going to just instantly recover from that place. Even if the two of you have intimate moments and she seems perfectly fine, all it could take is the wrong brush of a fingertip to trigger a momentary relapse. All I can suggest is be patient with her. Eventually, with your help, she'll be able to bury all the bad memories under good ones. She _needs_ your help, Ranma, even if she never asks for it in words."

"I kinda gathered that, actually," Ranma countered, sitting up a little more straight, reaching back and pulling her long ponytail over her shoulder, fiddling with it nervously. "She's been very...I don't want to say pushy or clingy, but it's like, she takes _every_ opportunity she can to be in contact with me. It sets me on a nervous edge at times, not because I don't enjoy it, but just from when Akane and I were engaged. Physical contact was a severe no-no for us, due to Akane's conditioning to the dumbasses at the school, and having been on the road myself for ten years left me not really relishing the opportunities either. With Makoto, it's not that I _don't_ have the desires of most men, it's just that for me, they're not the only thing raging in my head. So I tend to try and be a bit more reserved with her, especially in regards to her condition and her current mindset. And I'm also trying to hold myself back in case it's a matter of hero worship or something, which I don't think it is, but I know Kasumi mentioned something about it being possible in this situation. "

"You've put more thought into the matter than I was aware of, I guess I should've known," Setsuna commented, her red eyes unreadable for a moment as she pursed her lips in contemplation once more.

"I haven't really had a choice but to think about it. If I wasn't, then I'd have been moving even faster than I have been, and the last thing I want to be doing is rushing her. She's already been through hell, she doesn't need someone like me pushing at her, just because I feel some sort of instant attraction to her that confuses me to no end. No red-blooded male _wouldn't_ want a girl like her, and that's just talking about her looks." Ranma said, getting more irritable as she went on, her face in her hands.

"Even though she's pregnant? Most men don't exactly look at that as a good thing in terms of looks," Setsuna said, not-so subtly prodding at Ranma, trying to learn more of the man behind the curse. She gave Kasumi an apologetic nod as the house-keeper silently appeared in the doorway behind her brother-turned-sister, her face concerned even as she restricted herself to that doorway.

"What the hell difference does that make? Any man who can't see her past the child is a moron. Her aura, it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and I'm not a man of those arts. It blinds me with it's intensity if I shift my vision at the wrong time. Akane forgive me, I'd do anything I have to to keep that near me, any man who wouldn't is more than a fool, they're a damned Kuno!" Ranma cried out, fresh tears tracking down her face as she felt betrayed by her own emotions. "A woman like her deserves a man who isn't still hooked on a love lost nearly half a decade ago, who turns into a girl at the drop of a bucket."

"And what if that man is exactly the man I want anyway?" A small voice spoke up from behind Setsuna, who moved to reveal a much less panicked Makoto. "What if I want that man, or that girl as the case is half the time, in spite of any problems?"

"Then I'm a baka for not seeing it sooner, and double the baka for doubting myself to begin with," Ranma replied sadly, looking up with a wan smile. "Heh...I don't think any of the old Nerima Wrecking Crew would know what to think of me right now. The 'invincible' and arrogant Saotome Ranma, crying his eyes out and worried if a girl wanted to even keep him."

"Well I don't think most people would consider a Sailor Senshi to be capable of being scared of what-ifs and could-have-beens, but look where we are anyway," Makoto said quietly as she sat down just in front of Ranma, keeping her hands in her lap. "So when were you going to get done going over the short list of your downsides?"

"Apparently I'm done, since the woman I've been falling in love with too fast for my own good doesn't seem to believe that list actually exists," Ranma responded sheepishly, a full-force blush on her face as she studied the floor joints, her hands still nervously playing with her ponytail.

"Good," Mako replied as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the cursed martial artist's neck, drawing her into a deep sensual kiss, causing several circuits to fry in Ranma's ill-prepared brain before the kiss was returned in earnest. As the two continued to remain that way, Kasumi excused herself to the kitchen with a quickly muttered "Oh my!". Setsuna on the other hand, pulled a digital camera out of whatever piece of space she stored her transformation wand in, and snapped several pics while the two remained oblivious to their surroundings.

"Oh those'll make Haruka and Michiru _so_ jealous," she commented mostly to herself. A short walk into the kitchen found her next to Kasumi, whom she bowed respectfully to. "Thank you for what you and your family have done. Please keep taking care of her. I have some things I need to take care of." As Kasumi watched, Setsuna quietly opened a portal from the Time Gates and stepped through it. Kasumi's gentle smile became a quick smirk as she heard the two in the other room finally break for air, keeping her giggle from reaching her lips.

"I uhh," Ranma started trying to say as she began to recover her mental state. She was silenced by another quick kiss from Makoto, their combined balance toppling finally as the taller girl leaned just a touch too far forward, earning startled yelps from both of them as they fell the rest of the short distance to the floor. As Kasumi walked in, she was surprised to find the two kissing once more. Ranma's brain was further devolving to an unthinking state at the feeling of Mako's chest pressed against her own. A polite cough from Kasumi got both their attention, earning her similiar kid-in-the-cookie-jar looks of embarassment on the faces of both girls.

"Need I remind you that you both have rooms in the house? Again?" Kasumi said playfully, the same smirk plastered on her face from the kitchen. She stuck her tongue out at them as she turned around and went back to the kitchen. "I don't care what you do, but at least don't do it out here where the rest of us have to see, unless you'd like me and Tofu to return the favor?"

"Kasumi, are you torturing the children again?" Nabiki asked as she walked in the front door.

"It's their own fault, they're in the family room assaulting my innocent mind," Kasumi exclaimed with exaggeration, Nabiki rolling her eyes in response.

"Innocent my ass, who was it that got ten syllables out of Tofu's name over the course of about as many seconds one night?" Nabiki jabbed, laughing as her usually prim-and-proper sister's face lit up like a flame.

"NABIKI!" Kasumi yelled, her hands to her face. A matching set of laughter echoed Nabiki's first as she moved to the living room where the business-woman walked in to find Mako and Ranma still locked together on the floor.

"Well no wonder she's complaining, any less clothing and I'd have to have assumed she was right. Makes me wonder why I don't have my camera on me," Nabiki commented cheekily. The embarassment finally kicking in enough to convince them to move, Makoto gingerly eased herself up before before wincing, causing Ranma to move to catch her prematurely.

"I'm okay, kid nailed a rib again, I swear it's starting to aim for them," She said, grimacing as she continued to push her way back up to sitting normally, one hand moving to rub the offended bone. "I think that was the hardest it's ever hit me too. Blasted brat."

"You keep saying 'it', did you not find out what the kid is yet?" Nabiki inquired as she set herself down at the table with everyone else. Nabiki arched an eyebrow as Makoto shook her head to the negative. "You should have Tofu check, or someone he suggests. They can run a minor test from your blood now days, can check for the kid's DNA, makes it easy for them to notice birth defects ahead of time and such, great for paternity tests now that they keep everyone's DNA on file since the impact too." In the kitchen, the ever-attentive Kasumi blinked and then smiled as she realized she may not have to push the matter to begin with.

"She's got a point there, Mako. Whether you wanna know who the father is or not, it can't hurt to at least get the test done for the sake of makin' sure the kid's okay," Ranma said, settling her hands behind her head per her usual as she sat back up straight, making a very concentrated effort to ignore the sensations still floating through her body."_I swear this body just flat-out reacts easier to sexual stuff, but that's a line of thought for another time I guess, perhaps something I can talk to Kasumi about. By Kami that's going to be an embarassing conversation,_" Ranma contemplated as the table was set for dinner.

* * *

><p>The portal closed behind Setsuna as she arrived at the Time Gate, setting the Time Key aside as she straightened her hair. "Alright, time for some heavy duty past searching. There has to be a detail I can manipulate somewhere."<p>

As she stood and watched images flashed by in the gate, hundreds inside the space of seconds, before they suddenly slowed, the focus on a plethora of settings in a computer program. "And there you are, professor. So foolish to leave your notes up on a screen. Just some random male chosen from a list? And using eggs from the mother herself? Not even surgically harvested or anything. Not very original, if nothing else, it's just a horrible way of doing in-vitro fertilization. It seems fortunate that she wasn't at a deeper layer of this facility. Whatever's going on down there I still can't look at. Judging by your notes, it's cloning down to the DNA level, but to what end I wonder? If cloning human DNA wasn't the end-goal of your project, then what ARE you doing?" The images suddenly sped back up, flashing through hundreds more before suddenly slowing once more, Setsuna's iron mask cracking and letting slip tears for a moment at the scenes contained now. "So much pain and horror to inflict on a person. The longer I watch the human race, the more amazed I am at the depths of depravity we'll strive towards. It's as if the entire damned race has some sort of built-in gene that encourages self-destruction."

"Even kept her so drugged that she didn't realize there was a few weeks there her food didn't have the birth control in it, and no men randomly assaulting her. Real bastards, hiding their own crime inside the activities of others." Tears flowed from her eyes as she watched the images within the gates, before they began to slide through quickly once more, her focus reasserting itself. "Very well. I can't change full events, that's beyond my power without facing the penalty. But Serenity-sama _did_ mention that detail manipulation was perfectly within the bounds. And I know damned well I can manipulate _this_ detail. Hopefully they'll forgive me after they find out."

* * *

><p>Makoto had retreated to the back porch once again while Ranma and Tofu were in the backyard running through katas, Kasumi joining her a short while later as the dishes were finished.<p>

"Ranma mentioned you're pretty good in the Art as well, Kasumi, but I never see you practicing," Mako commented, curiosity peaking in her mind as she recalled the story from the first day she was in the house.

"Oh, I still practice, you just don't notice. The particular school Ranma's family, and mine, are trained in is called Anything Goes. It's a philosophy that extends to our training almost as much as the fighting style. Ranma actually handles weapons almost as well as he does his own fists, but you will rarely see him use one. He just prefers using his own hands. His mother on the other hand, is an excellent swordsman herself, although she rarely let's it show. And in spite of his downfalls, and lack of a spine, Ranma's father is actually an exceptional fighter as well. My housework is my practice. I am not as much of a physical fighter as Ranma, or even Tofu," Kasumi said, putting one hand out, where small balls of pink energy started appearing one at a time till half a dozen were floating in a small spinning circle above her hand. "On the other hand, my ki control is almost on a level with Ranma's, and I have a more varied usage for it."

"So you're almost always training while you do your housework, no wonder you're able to get it done so well. It's almost a kata of sorts for you, isn't it?" Mako queried, receiving a smile and a nod in confirmation. "So the story from Ranma and Nabiki about that councilman you pinned to the wall isn't so exaggerated, is it?"

"Oh my, they told you about that?" Kasumi said, putting one hand over her eyes exasperatedly, her voice aggravated. "I have never met someone so insufferable in my life. To even jokingly suggest that Daddy had taken all four of us for mistresses would have been in horrible taste, considering our ages at the time, but he wasn't even joking! He was actually serious! To even _think_ that of our Father just made me so angry."

"Can't say I blame ya for that, who does that kind of thing these days anyway?" Mako replied, surprised to see the touch of anger in Kasumi.

"Exactly! I mean, I'm all for maintaining traditions, but there are some things that are just improper no matter how traditional," Kasumi huffed, crossing her arms, an irritated look on her face, leaving the girl beside her giggling.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening passed quietly, Nabiki ensconced in front of the TV to watch her reports before retiring to her room, Tofu and Kasumi excusing themselves to their room early, leaving Ranma and Makoto to themselves on the back porch. Ranma had gleefully assumed his birth form, reveling in the idea of <em>not<em> being stuck in panties for a day or two. He was relaxed finally, Makoto laying next to him and happily using his chest for a pillow for her head once again as they looked at the stars.

"You seem to do this every night," she commented after a while.

"It's a habit I picked up back when all the chaos was still a daily thing. Every night I'd climb out onto the roof and watch the stars. It was one of the few pieces of true peace and quiet I could find in my life at the time. I guess you could say it's become as much of a habit to me as calling girls weak is to Pops," Ranma said, chuckling lightly. "Fortunately, my habits don't seem to get me belted into the nearest wall or pond when I engage in them."

"Well that's a good thing." Mako replied simply, snuggling up tighter against Ranma. "I could get used to this. I never really got too involved with any other guy. I think I scared them all on some level."

"How would you do that?" Ranma questioned, unable to think of anything he had found to be fear-inspiring in the girl thus far that any other girl hadn't done to him.

"Most guys it seems don't like a girl who's as tall if not taller than they are, let alone one that knows how to fight," Mako replied, looking up towards Ranma. "Most guys these days aren't true martial artists though, so I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. I don't think I ever did tell you anything really. I used to get kicked out of schools on a somewhat regular basis for fighting."

"You don't seem like the type to start trouble," Ranma said, thinking hard on it for a moment.

"Oh, I didn't start problems, I just didn't have any trouble finishing them. And you know how most schools are, the victor is the problem," Mako stated with a small amount of irritation. "Didn't matter if you were fighting off the school's most infamous bully from a friend, if you were the one standing, you were the bigger problem."

"I didn't know normal schools were like that. Furinkan was the only school I was in for anything longer than a month or two tops, and that place was a freaking loony bin when you take everything into account. The Hentai Horde was ridiculous on the face of it all. It's leader Kuno Tatewaki was declared mentally insane a few years ago I think, although why it took them till he was out of school to figure that out, I'll never know. He was one of the biggest pain in mine and Akane's asses. And he _never_ figured out that his 'pig-tailed goddess' was my female form, even though it happened in front of him dozens of times. I think they put him in the same mental facility they put his sister in." Ranma frowned in concentration.

"Stop thinking so hard. They won't really matter now days anyway. If they show up, you can kick them clear across the city now," Makoto commented, smiling as she sat up and planted a quick kiss on Ranma's lips, happy to see he didn't hesitate much to return the favor. She quickly stood up afterwards,smiling. "Good night."

"Good night, Mako, see you tomorrow," Ranma said, smiling happily as he watched her walk down the hall to her room. His thoughts turned inwards as he went back to watching the stars. "_She makes me miss Akane. Yet she makes me glad for how things have turned out. Is this what you meant Akane? Not to shut myself off from this? Is this what we were missing out on by staying apart so long?"_

* * *

><p>A few hours later found Ranma suddenly awakened from a small nap by a piercing scream. Before the echo had even died down he was through the family room and down the hall, nearly pulling the door to Mako's room off it's hinges as he threw it open. He found her thrashing in her sleep, her features locked in a rictus of pain and horror as her screams started once more. He quickly dropped next to her and picked her up, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as her eyes snapped open. Her dream-hazed and panicked mind took hold, causing her to attempt to push him away, her strength surpriseing him though nowhere near enough to loosen his grasp as he held her tighter. He began whispering comforting words in her ears till the panic subsided to reason as she realized she was awake, her screams fading to wracking sobs instead as she embraced him in return, using him as a life preserver in her personal sea of horror.<p>

"It's alright, Mako, I'm here, you're safe." Ranma was out of his element, and he knew it, even as he subconciously tried to push as much calmness into his aura as he could manage. This was usually Kasumi's place. Something in the back of his mind told him Kasumi wouldn't be able to ever completely counter this fear though. He looked towards the door as he heard a noise, spotting Kasumi standing in a hastily acquired robe that was several sizes too large for her, her features in as dire a panic as Ranma imagined his own must be. He was surprised to see Kasumi's face become relieved as she spotted him already in the room, letting out a silent breath as she nodded at him, before she turned and walked back down the hall leaving a befuddled Ranma behind. He looked down to notice Mako's crying had subsided, leaving her merely sniffling. "You okay?"

"I...I think so," Mako replied, her voice still shaky. Her grip on Ranma refused to budge, however, in spite of her supposed assurance.

"Want to talk about it?" Ranma asked, his brain racing for anything like this that he had been nearby for. His usual response of 'Find Kasumi!' didn't seem like it would work, considering she'd already been here and apparently left him on his own.

"I was reliving my days in the cell. It just all ran together, with no real stopping points, no rest, it was all hurried. It was like reliving the whole thing in fast forward, and finally I just couldn't take any more of it," her frame shook as she thought back on it, that shaking in turn causing her to hold tighter on to Ranma in an attempt to quell it. Her voice was barely a whisper in the stillness of the room.

"You wanna go back out on the porch?" Ranma inquired, trying to put more bravado into his voice than he felt.

"NO!" Mako said, a light blush adorning her face in the ill-lit room, her mind racing quickly in circles. "No, I...I don't, I just...I don't know what I want, I just don't want to be alone."

"I uhhh," Ranma's brain kicked itself into neutral and ground to a stop as the realization that he was being asked to stay in a girl's room kicked in. His thought processes quickly devolved further into nothingness as Mako pulled his face down and kissed him hard, seemingly trying to draw peace of mind from his lips.

"To hell with proper, to hell with moving too fast, to hell with doubting my own damned feelings. I'm not hesitating anymore, I know what _I_ want," he heard her mutter as she stood and shut the door, turning and dropping the shirt she had been wearing as she slowly walked back towards the futon. Ranma's mind blew a few more fuses before suddenly pulling itself back into gear.

"Makoto?" He started to ask, only to be silenced as she quickly pressed herself against him.

"I love you, I'm not allowing myself to doubt that feeling anymore. I'm tired of these nightmares where every man who wants me makes me his without me having any say in it. I...feel like I'm losing part of myself to these every night, and I want to make sure if I'm losing any part of me, it's the part I'm giving willingly away, to the man I choose. I don't care if anyone else thinks it's too soon, because to me, I'm only following my heart. If you want me, I'm yours." she said, tears forming in her eyes as she laid her feelings as bare as the rest of her. She heard Ranma blow out a soft breath before she felt his arms surrounding her.

"Only if you're sure this is what you want, Mako-chan. I will not _take_ anything from you, you aren't _giving_ me anything. But I'm honored if you're willing to _share_ such a thing with a man such as I," Ranma replied carefully, receiving his answer in the form of a desperate kiss and the fervently seeking hands of the woman in his arms.

* * *

><p>Thank you readers for your reviews, both positive and negative points of them. My apologies if some parts feel rushed. I was trying to balance out girl-magnet Ranma with boy-hungry Makoto, and given the situation, the reactions seemed most logical to me (at least without Saotome insult-every-opportunity cards being put into play). I hope this installment, even if still feeling rushed to some people, pleases most of you. :)<p> 


	6. Peaceful Lull

Ch.06

**Peaceful Lull**

_The peaceful storm in heart's tempest  
><em>_Leaves thoughts free to ponder  
><em>_Chaos comes to life's content  
><em>_Casting aside thoughts to wander_

Kasumi woke early the next morning for some reason, earlier than even her usual time. A glance at the clock told her she wouldn't be getting back to sleep for any appreciable amount of time, so she left a soft kiss on Tofu's forehead before quietly getting up and proceeding about her wake-up routine. A quick and efficient cleaning left her feeling refreshed for the morning, a spring in her step as she made her way back down the hall towards the kitchen. Something nagged at the edge of her attention as she set the tea kettle on the stove to warm up, leaving her frowning and looking around to find the source of the irritation. Satisfied that her kitchen was as it should be, she turned and went back through the doorway out into the main room only to catch sight of a black ponytail standing out against Ranma's bare back. The young martial artist seemed fixated on the sky, his hands folded under his chin as he sat indian-style.

"Given your usual habit of attracting water out of nowhere, I'm surprised to find you out here without a shirt, Ranma," Kasumi stated simply as she set herself down next to him, his uncertainty as tangible to her sixth sense as the morning's chill would have been to anyone else. At least now that she had pinpointed it.

"Am I a bad person for what I did last night, Kasumi?" Ranma asked simply after a few moments, his eyes never shifting from the darkened sky. He seemed to be watching for some sort of sign, as if the heavens themselves could decree judgement at any time.

"That depends I would say. Did you do anything that you weren't asked to do?" Kasumi replied, receiving a negative shake of the head from her companion. "Hmm. I don't see where this would make you a bad person then. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not sure. Makoto said...said that if she was going to lose a piece of herself, she'd rather give it away to someone of her choice," Ranma hesitated in his responses, unsure of how much he should say, but sure that he needed to talk to someone. "I'm not sure if she chose me because of her feelings towards me, or because I was the closest available source of that type of comfort."

"Well, I do know that she's as smitten with you as you are with her. So I would say you're worrying over nothing on that matter. Many of my conversations with her end up involving you in some way. I can honestly say that I don't think any of her emotions are a backlash, other than the more obvious issues, such as her little fit yesterday. And you seem to have handled last night admirably well in that matter too." Kasumi paused, going into the kitchen to retrieve a couple teacups, filling them with a smoother blend than her usual mornings. As she walked back out to the porch, she handed a cup to Ranma who graciously accepted it. "So, any regrets?"

"Honestly?" A small smile crept across Ranma's face as he drank quietly from his cup. "I wish perhaps that this were something I could have shared with Akane. But like I said before, I can't waste my time worrying over the what-ifs. So no, no regrets. I don't feel that I've stained my honor with my actions last night, just wasn't sure what someone else's thoughts on the matter would be. I enjoyed myself, and Makoto seemed to as well in the end once she calmed down from the nightmares."

"You were gentle with her I assume? She _is_ a little delicate right now." Kasumi admonished him lightly, a very slight frown on her face.

"As if I would know how to be anything else?" Ranma replied, smirking and rolling his eyes sarcastically

"Sometimes emotions can run a bit...chaotic during such things," she replied carefully, her smile returning after a moment. "I should have known better than to need to ask I suppose. After all, you lock up in concern any time you hear so much as a slightest hint of pain from a girl unless you're fighting her."

"Can't help it, ya know? It's the one good thing to come from Pops' 'Girls are weak!' crap," came the easy reply from a now laid down martial artist. A peaceful quiet descended for a small bit as the two enjoyed the early morning air. Ranma suddenly chuckled, earning him a questioning look from Kasumi. "So, guess we can compare notes now, ne?"

Kasumi's musical laughter was all the answer he received as the rest of the house quietly slept on for a few more hours.

* * *

><p>Makoto woke slowly, loathe to submit her vision to the sunbeam that merrily danced on the other side of her eyelids. Placing her hand out to block the bright ray, she sat up, smiling to herself as memories of the night drifted back into her waking mind. Looking over and finding Ranma's discarded shirt, she reached down and picked it up, holding it against her in a moment of playful glee, resisting the urge to squeal slightly as she let herself drift on the happy feelings. A slight thump from inside her belly caught her attention, causing an instinctive hand to rub at the offended spot.<p>

"Oh shush you, I'll get moving in a moment. Let me have my peaceful morning-after, brat," she quietly commented at her unborn child, the smile never leaving her face. As she stood and began to get dressed, she stopped and looked at herself in the mirror, having realized momentarily that she hadn't really contemplated her looks other than just to clean up since she'd been rescued. The days in the breeding grounds had left her a little more pale in complexion than she had been before, her hair nearly waist length now while in it's usual ponytail, dropping to just past her rear as she untied it. As she spun and checked herself over her smile widened, happy to find herself mostly the same as ever, no permanent signs of her abuse left visible. Senshi healing powers at least helped with that matter. "Good. Once you're out kiddo, I can work on slimming back down and show Ranma the normal me. In the meantime, you let me have my little bit of fun occasionally, okay?"

Kasumi smiled as she saw Makoto leave her room and head for the furo, the smile on the girl's face still brighter than the morning's sunlight. A short while later she heard a soft thump as Mako threw Ranma's shirt at him before kissing him as a morning greeting. A quick nod was exchanged between the two girls as Mako came into the kitchen, grabbed an apron and took over a small piece of the counter from Kasumi.

"You look like you're feeling better than usual this morning," Kasumi stated, sensing the energy the taller girl was putting off, happy to see that the night had been beneficial in the end.

"Yep! Feeling more like the old me. Though I seem to be weighed down in the middle still," Mako joked, poking at her rounded stomach. Kasumi giggled as they continued assembling breakfast, splitting up the hassle between the two of them with little fuss. Nabiki's morning-induced zombie-shuffle failed at slowing them, her tea in her hands almost before she could reach for it. Makoto steered her back out towards the main room as Kasumi brought the food out. Tofu began making quick work of his plate after they were handed out, causing him an odd look from Ranma and Kasumi.

"Something up, Doc? You're usually almost the last one of us to be done," Ranma asked, curious what would make Tofu remind him of Genma.

"I have an interview set up with Makoto's friend Mizuno Ami. She came by yesterday and requested to talk to me, but unfortunately I was a little busy at the time. I asked her to come by this morning so I could talk to her before my appointments. Kasumi told me a while back that we were needing another person on staff, and given her other occupation, I'd like to be able to help her out. Besides, I have a few hours to spare before the few appointments on the list for today." Tofu supplied as he finished his plate. He quickly left his seat, planting a quick kiss on Kasumi's lips before rushing for the doorway.

* * *

><p>Tofu smiled as he saw Ami waiting for him. The girl was punctual at least, which was more than could be said for a good number of applicants he had seen over the past couple weeks. An odd occurence in the medical field he had thought, but perhaps it was a sign of the times. Given what else he was aware she dealt with, it was still somewhat of a surprise.<p>

"My apologies Mizuno-san, didn't mean to keep you waiting," Tofu said as he unlocked the clinic and headed in, his hands deftly moving down the row of switches for the lights. "I'm afraid the past few nights have been a little hectic at my home, though I guess you're somewhat aware of that yourself."

"It's not a problem Ono-san, I have a habit of showing up a bit earlier than is normal anyway," Ami said as she walked in behind him. The floors and walls of the clinic seemed to sparkle in the normal hospital fashion, but the place somehow lacked the usual disinfected smell that most medical buildings had. It was interesting to note, and not altogether unpleasant , but Ami quickly pushed the thought aside for later. Tofu led her back past the front desks to his office, waving her to a seat as he moved around it.

"Now, I understand you need a job, and I happen to be looking for another staff member." Tofu said easily, picking up a folder on his desk. He opened it up and shuffled through some papers in it, quickly perusing the offered information

"Yes, sir. I'm trying to avoid the larger hospitals, as I don't wish to become just another number in a line of nurses and doctors," Ami said, her nervousness breaking through slightly as she shifted in her seat.

"And also for another reason I assume as well? It would after all be difficult to explain sudden disappearances to a large staff," Tofu asked softly, receiving an affirmative nod. He smiled gently, having a pretty good idea of what the pages in his hand would tell him. "Well then, let's talk about your medical knowledge."

* * *

><p>"I wasn't aware you liked working with plants," Kasumi commented, watching as Makoto tended to one of the plants she kept in the corners of the main room. Nabiki had abandoned the house for the day, claiming to business, even though the entire family knew she didn't work today.<p>

"Oh yes, I used to keep quite a collection in my apartment, but the girls weren't able to save those, nowhere to put'em," Mako answered as she stood back up from the plant, having trimmed off a few spots that Kasumi hadn't got to yet. "You're good enough to almost take the fun out of checking them over." Kasumi smiled at the light praise. The yard was easy enough to take care of, but sometimes the house plants just seemed to resist her efforts. Not that anyone else in the house had enough knowledge to notice, but it was an irritating point anyway. Mako's attentions wandered from plant to plant as she moved through the rooms. Kasumi moved around the taller girl, quickly doing a sweep of the floors.

"Oh, I'll have to go to the clinic in a little bit. I've got a few patients of my own that requested Saturday appointments that I need to take care of," Kasumi commented as she put the broom up.

"That's fine. Did you want me to maybe start taking care of your house plants? Not that you don't do a good job, just it gives me something a little more consistent to do, and helps ease things off of you a little bit," Makoto asked as she looked up from another trimmed branch. Kasumi smiled and nodded to her as the two went about cleaning for a short time while Ranma did the smart thing and stayed out of their way.

* * *

><p>"Mind some company?" Makoto asked a seemingly meditating Ranma as Kasumi left out the front door. He opened his eyes slowly, smiling as he looked up at her.<p>

"As long as it's you, not sure I'll ever mind," he replied.

"I'm sure there'll come a point where you'll mind, we're bound to have another fight or two somewhere I think," Mako said as she sat down and leaned over against Ranma. "You spend a lot of time out here on the porch. Any real reason why?"

"Mostly just a habit anymore, it used to be to avoid the majority of the house getting wrecked whenever one of the fiancees or rivals would show up. Once I realized it was just Kasumi cleaning up after all of that crap, I decided to try and find small ways to cut down on how bad it was. Shampoo was the worst, with the Bakusai Tenketsu, and her apparent disgust for normal doorways. Even a five minute visit from her was two more holes in the wall big enough to walk through. So I started staying out on the porch as much as possible. No excuse for her to go through the house that way, since she can jump that outer wall just as easily any other martial artist in the area," Ranma's eyes gained a far-away look as he envisioned past events for a moment before smiling and shaking his head slowly. "We were all such children. Didn't care about how odd we were compared to the rest of the world, didn't give a crap what we destroyed in the process. I think that perhaps if at least one of us would've been a little more mature about things, then perhaps it wouldn't have drug out for so long. But kids are stubborn, aren't they?"

"Heh, not just kids, but then I guess some people never grow up," Makoto responded as she took up her preferred spot laying across his lap. "I almost miss seeing you in girl form now. I got used to seeing you like that for a few days."

"Ha, trust me, you'll see it often enough. I don't think I've spent more than three days at most as a guy without resorting to waterproof soap." Ranma chuckled, cocking his head up as he heard the front gate ring. He gently untangled himself from Mako's grip and ran through the house. As he opened the front gate, he found the mailman waiting for him.

"Good day, Saotome-san. Piece of mail here directly for you, had specific intructions to be delivered by hand. I'd assume it's your mother again," the middle-aged man politely told him, bowing respectfully. Ranma took the letter, nodding as he noticed the seal on it. He waved the mailman off as he turned to head back inside, leaving the rest of the mail for Kasumi. Wouldn't do any good to mess with her routine after all.

"What was that all about?" Mako asked from the main room. She had let her hair down out of it's ponytail, pulling it over her shoulder as she gave it a thorough brushing. Ranma stopped and stared for a moment as he walked in, nearly dropping the letter from his hand in his distraction. Makoto smiled lightly, even as inside she was nearly jumping.

"It's a letter from Mom, she always asks for it to be delivered directly to me when she sends them," Ranma said as his brain finally wrenched itself back into a drive gear. He sat down next to Makoto, breaking the wax seal and opening the envelope carefully. As he read over it he sighed. "Oh this is gonna go great, I just know it."

"What's wrong?" Mako inquired, curious what would seem to drag down Ranma's seemingly irrepressible attitude. "You said it was from your mother? Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

"It is and it isn't. She's coming back to town. Her and Pops apparently feel that the breeding grounds have been put to a stop outside of the major Tokyo area. They called Ukyo back as well." Ranma sat his face in his hands for a moment.

"Well that's a good thing isn't it?" Mako asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh that part I don't see a problem with. Actually that part makes me quite happy. It's what's going to happen _after_ she gets back that has me concerned. Remember all the odd little comments about my mother's sense of manliness?" Ranma asked as he picked his face up, receiving a nod from Makoto. "Let's just say she's probably going to look once at your stomach and make an automatic assumption that it's mine, which is then going to lead to her assuming we're married. So she's going to be upset she didn't get invited to the wedding. Then she'll find out we're not, and at that point I'm going to get yelled at for having not married you yet, and then once she realizes that the kid _isn't_ mine I'm gonna have to hear it about what I'm doing taking another man's wife. Trust me, she can jump to conclusions faster than anyone else I've ever seen when it concerns her ideals of manliness. I'm just going to get a headache before it's all over with, I know it."

"That's a lot of conclusions to jump to," Makoto responded slowly, paling slightly. "Is she really going to be that bad?"

"I'm hoping by some miracle she won't be, but with how my life goes, it's just best to prepare for the worst. I suppose they could have changed during the past year or two while out on the road, but if they have, I've never been able to tell from the phone calls. Pops still sounds like he wants to use me as his own personal tool for whatever scheme he's come up with lately. Mom, she doesn't so much try to control me as she tries to shove me into a little picture of her expectations. She thought it was a good thing I had four different women after me, said it gave me options," Ranma sighed again as he laid back on the porch, folding his hands behind his head. Makoto turned and leaned across his chest to face him, causing him to smirk slightly. "I think she never realized until it was too late that I didn't want options. I just wanted to be left to making a choice for myself, ya know? But, this time she won't really have a say in it either way. I've made a choice while she wasn't here, no matter how fast some people may think it was, and I plan to stick by that choice."

"Good!" Makoto enthused, smiling widely as she laid her head down on Ranma. She frowned after a moment. "I feel like I'm doing something wrong laying around all day, but it's not like I can go do anything in my condition anyway. Well, nothing useful at least."

"What was it you told Kasumi the other day? 'I'm pregnant, not an invalid', or something to that effect?" Ranma flashed his smirk again. "If you think of something you wanna go do, then let me know. I mostly stay around the house just to avoid the chaos that seems to follow me most of the time when I go out. Apparently being me got me a small cult following in Tokyo, so I tend to randomly attract attention when I go out in public. It doesn't really bother me much anymore, but it's not always the same for people I'm with. And I wasn't sure before if you'd really want to become a public figure in your non-senshi guise, so having me alone with you wasn't something I wanted to subject you to. That's how rumors and gossip get started after all."

"I don't particularly mind it, I had a small bit of fame in the martial arts tournament scene. Although I'm not sure how now that I've seen you fight," Makoto answered as she put a finger to her mouth in thought.

"Nerima's martial artists were kinda banned from most of the Tokyo region's tournaments," Ranma answered easily, laughing lightly. "Apparently they thought people who could put their fists through walls on accident were a bad thing to allow into normal fighting rings. Not that I can blame them really."

"I guess I can see that. But no, I don't mind being seen with you. I was more worried about you. Wouldn't being seen with a pregnant unmarried woman be kind of a public scandal since you're under the same honor restrictions as the Empress?" Mako leaned back up, sitting on her knees for a moment.

"Nah, I don't think she'd find anything wrong with us. Not if she knew the full story at least. And once you come down to it, it's my honor. If I don't feel that it's stained by anything I've done, then no one else certainly has room to decide as much, ne?" Ranma sat up himself, a look of irritation on his face.

"Something wrong?" Mako asked, afraid she'd somehow upset him.

"No. Well, nothing wrong with you. There's an odd feel to my ki today. But I can't quite pin it down, and that has me confused. I'll have Doc take a look at it later. It doesn't feel like there's anything wrong, just not quite normal," Ranma said, flexing one hand slowly.

"Well, if there's nothing wrong, then no harm done at least, I guess. Wanna watch some TV with me?" Mako asked, slowly standing up and moving into the main room. She picked up the remote on her way and sat down at one end of the couch, Ranma joining her a moment later. She quickly offered him the remote. "Here, you find something."

"Aww geez, I never watch anything on here. This is gonna be a shot in the dark," Ranma replied, laughing as he flipped the TV on, tapping around for a few channels before the remote suddenly seemed to sizzle in his hand. A small current of electricity zapped him, causing him to drop it after a moment. "Ooookay, that was odd. Never had the remote decide it doesn't like me, it's usually the other way around."

"Very odd. Normally these things don't even have enough juice in them to cause a zap of any sort," Makoto commented as she bent down and picked up the remote, her nose crinkling as the smell of burnt circuits reached her nose. "Come to think of it, I know these things don't have that kind of power. At worst they should be able to cause a tingle."

"I think technology just hates martial artists. It doesn't like that we do things it says aren't possible," Ranma grinned as Mako rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, since the TV hates us, wanna go for a walk or something? I _really_ just wanna get out of the house, starting to feel all cooped up." Makoto peered up at Ranma, beaming a smile at him that was making him wonder if he could've even said no if he wanted to. He stood and reached out a hand, helping the girl to her feet before heading for the door.

"What my lady wants," Ranma said, flashing his trademark grin. "Oh, Kasumi did ask if I could bring you down to the clinic, if you're alright with it. She wanted to get that blood test that Nabiki mentioned done. I think she just kinda assumed you'd be okay with it. And after that, the park sound good?"

Makoto's face showed her deliberation for a moment before she smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's for the best anyway."

* * *

><p>The sun shone down brightly on the park. Ranma chuckled as he walked alongside Makoto, her hand firmly entwined with his own. The park was always a good place to hang out in order to watch people, and he always preferred to see happy people around him.<p>

"You seem a lot brighter out of the house. That's not just for show, is it?" Mako asked suddenly.

"Naw, it's just part of being me. I love seeing people happy, and more often than not, happy people are just about all you'll see in the parks. Besides the occasional city worker who got stuck on cleaning for the day," Ranma replied, thumbing towards a man emptying the trashcans near the park's restroom. Mako looked that way and giggled.

"If that's the case, why not come out more? You said the crowds don't really bother you when you get them, so it shouldn't be a problem, right? We should come out here more often," Mako seemed particularly pleased with the idea, smiling widely as Ranma nodded in agreement.

"Saotome-sama!" The sudden yell from a distance behind them earned a small groan from Ranma as he rolled his eyes lightheartedly.

"What did I tell you? Here we go," he said under his breath to Makoto before turning around to find a small pack of younger girls bearing down on him. "What can I do for you ladies?" Questions were fired at him from every direction, causing him to laugh. "Whoa, slow down, I can only answer questions so fast. Martial artists are taught to be fast with their bodies, not their words." The pack of girls all looked at each other before nodding.

"Is it true that you're single?" One of the girls in the back of the group yelled, causing the rest to turn and look at her in surprise.

"Nope. Not anymore at least," Ranma replied easily. He chuckled as the entire group suddenly looked crestfallen. "Now come on, surely you girls didn't think I'd be able to tell you yes I was. Even though I'm not, how would I be able to say yes? You'd all want me to yourselves, and then you'd be mad at each other, or all mad at me. I'm guessing you've been to that website someone put up about me, right?" A chorus of nods answered him. "Did you read the parts about my old situation with all the fiancees after me?" Another round of nods. "Then you know how I feel about having multiple girls chase me."

"But someone said you were the type to like that sort of thing," another girl said quietly.

"Well, someone was wrong. Don't listen to that kind of stuff about someone, unless you hear it from themself. Now did you need anything else? My friend and I would like to continue our walk, if that's alright?" Ranma smiled to take the sting out of the dismissal, earning Makoto her first glance from the pack of girls. A small chorus of "Ooooooh," was his answer as the girls all started giggling and ran off.

"Well, I expect that to take maybe ten minutes before they post something to the forums on that site," Ranma said as they turned to continue walking.

"I didn't think you meant it was just younger girls after you," Mako joked as they walked near the center of the park, Ranma looking at the fountain nervously.

"Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't," Ranma said before a sudden gust of wind got him sprayed. A now damp and female Ranma rolled her eyes. "Let's just say it's varied. Some days it's a small pack of girls like that who all have the hero infatuation going on, some days it's a pack of people who know someone I saved during the aftermath of the impact. Some days it's just a pack of teenage boys who for some reason seem to think I'll want them all in my girl form. Those ones are the worst."

"Yeah, I can see where that would be a problem," Mako replied, sitting down on a bench nearby. "Time to rest for a moment I think. Feet are starting to hurt."

"That's fine, we can relax here for a bit anyway. Heck, it's probably better that I'm in girl form now. No one will think twice about a pregnant girl out and about with one of her girl friends," Ranma commented as she laid her head back. A noisy sigh escaped her as she sat back forward, a pensive look on her face. "I'm wondering how best to reduce the impact of those girls."

"Huh?" came the confused answer from Makoto.

"Nothing seriously wrong or anything. Living with Nabiki and trying to keep track of her way of doing things taught me a little bit about reputations and damage control. I'm just trying to think of how best to spin things so that we don't have to actually reveal publicly what happened to you," Ranma's brows furrowed lightly as her brain went into a small period of overdrive before smoothing back out. "I don't think you want the whole world knowing what exactly happened for you to end up pregnant and with me. That seems like it would be kind of embarassing."

"That depends," Mako replied slowly.

"Depends on what?" Ranma replied, looking over at her.

"Your goal with those breeding grounds is to see them demolished, and get it recognized that they're a problem, right?" a quick nod from the redhead answered the Senshi's question. "If it became known that I was someone you'd rescued, would that be of any help to you? I know you said some of the families weren't the most cooperative when you brought their daughters back. And since you seem to have something of a public image, perhaps seeing your acceptance of it would help."

"That...might work. I didn't think you'd want to subject yourself to the kind of attention that would cause though," Ranma blew out another breath. "We can talk with Na-chan about it later. I'm not the greatest at working things with people on anything larger than an individual basis. She knows how to deal with the common public far better than I ever will. I'm too honest, or at least that's what she tells me."

"Well, it would also take the pressure off of you as far as your honor is concerned. If the Empress is looking out for you, and you don't want to tarnish her honor, then it's best that you're honest about this anyway. And there's no chance for a misunderstanding if you're clear on it from the start," Mako's logic seemed to drill a hole through the brick wall that was Ranma's thought processes currently, causing a smile on the smaller girl's face.

"Very, very true. And if someone feels I'm staining my honor by choosing to be with a girl who was a victim of these places. Well, let's just say they can speak to me about it in person," Ranma's grin was feral as she laughed.

* * *

><p>A portal quietly opened into the apartment Setsuna shared with Michiru and Haruka. A quick look told her the two must have returned just recently from one of Haruka's early morning races, articles of clothing randomly thrown around the apartment.<p>

"I think poor Kasumi would have a heart attack if she ever saw this place," Setsuna mused to herself. She walked into the living room just as the other girls walked in from the bathroom, both of them smiling as they spotted her.

"Well, you're looking much better." Michiru said calmly as she took a seat and worked a towel through her long hair.

"It's amazing what finally get a good night's sleep will do for you. Oh, and I managed to take a picture or two I thought you two might get a kick out of," Setsuna replied, setting her camera down in front of them as she walked into the kitchen to grab a drink. She came back to find Haruka looking a little crestfallen.

"So Mako does like girls?" Setsuna laughed at Haruka's immediate line of thought. By Kami that girl was more of a male than she looked sometimes.

"Near as I can tell, only one. And I doubt Ranma would be the type to share anyway. Now, let me update you on what I know."

* * *

><p>Kasumi walked in to find an empty house, an odd occurrence for her. She found a small note sitting on the table from Makoto, explaining where the two had gone. She set the mail down as she read it over.<p>

"Well now, going out in public Ranma? You didn't mention going to the park when you stopped at the clinic," Kasumi mused to herself. She turned to find the house still clean from the morning run-through. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around confused. "Well crap. Now what do I do until Tofu gets home?" Another turn had her setting the note back down on the table next to the pile of mail that she usually waited to sort, before noticing the letter from Ranma's mother with the broken seal sitting open.

"Oh my, Nodoka wrote him. This could go either very well, or very poorly," Kasumi's audible musings sounding quietly through the otherwise empty house. "Well, I'm sure Ranma will figure out how best to handle this. He figures everything else out after all, and Nodoka isn't a matter I can really do much about ahead of time." She started humming a small tune as she sorted the mail, deciding to just enjoy the peace and quiet. After all, it was the sort of thing one never found in the Tendo household normally.

* * *

><p>Another week passed quietly, Makoto having settled in as part of the routine of the household. Her and Ranma made a habit of walking at the park every day, the occasional pack of people stopping them to talk to Ranma. Ranma walked into the kitchen to talk to Kasumi that afternoon as Makoto went to lay down and take a nap, having just arrived back from the park.<p>

"Kasumi, you may wanna make more for dinner," Ranma said slowly. Kasumi glanced at him, arching an eyebrow questioningly. "Mom and Pops are back in town. I'd say give them maybe an hour or two, with the way Mom likes to wander. They'll probably wait to meet up with Ukyo as well I'm guessing."

"Do you think there's going to be a problem? You seem uneasy," Kasumi questioned as she started pulling more supplies out of the fridge and cabinets.

"Mom's going to see Makoto and jump to conclusions. You know how she is. I'm going to try and cut her off before she can get started, but you know about how well that works." Kasumi nodded as Ranma replied.

"I'll leave it to you for the most part then. Nodoka always assumes that I'm after you for some reason if I try to help defend you, even when she knows I'm already married to Tofu." the brown-haired girl rolled her eyes.

"That's Mom for you. I swear somehow she expects everyone to be after me in either form. I think that whole manliness contract went to her head. But it's been almost a full year now since they came back last for a visit, so here's to hoping." Ranma smiled as he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Best to stay out of Kasumi's way after all.

* * *

><p>Ranma chuckled as he stood up to answer the doorbell a few hours later. He sighed as he sensed his father taking up a position above the door, undoubtedly without Nodoka's knowledge or consent. Ranma knew she hated the surprise attacks, but Genma of course ignored her warnings and kept trying them anyway.<p>

"Hello Mom," he said simply as he opened the door, stepping away from it to allow her and Ukyo to step in. He closed the door immediately, wondering if his father would even stop to think that he would do so. A loud slam from the other side told him that Genma of course had not. He opened the door again to find his father slumped on the ground and holding his forehead. "Hello to you too, Pops."

"One of these days, I'll figure out how you always know when to do that," Genma groused, holding his head.

"I figured one of these days you'd figure out I can sense you and Mom from much further away than the household. And you never mastered your Umi-Ken-Sen well enough to hide it from _me_," Ranma stated with his usual smirk before turning and walking off, waving his father in after himself. "Now get in here Pops, just don't be a pest. Kasumi does enough cleaning as it is, and Mr. Tendo isn't around to keep anyone from locking you out of the house anymore."

"Ungrateful boy," Genma mumbled under his breath, still trying to figure out just _how_ exactly Ranma had mastered his own techniques better than he had. As he walked in, he was greeted by the sight of Ranma sitting down with his wife and daughter. The tall girl seated next to his son however, was a new addition. "Been making new friends while we were away, Ranma?"

"Yeah, Pops, this is my girlfriend, Makoto," Ranma said, chuckling as both Nodoka and Genma blinked in confusion. Ukyo merely arched an eyebrow, making no effort to do anything else. She smirked after a moment, stretching out sideways across a chair, her legs dangling over the side. Nodoka recovered first, looking Makoto up and down.

"Well you certainly picked a pretty one, but moved a little quick, didn't you?" Nodoka commented, a slight edge to her voice.

"What did I tell you?" Ranma retorted under his breath to Mako as he rolled his eyes, earning a giggle and a light embrace from her. "I rescued her from one of the breeding grounds, Mom. Her child's not mine."

"So you took in another man's wife?" Nodoka asked. As the temperature suddenly dropped, Genma paled, his wife apparently oblivious to the sudden chill emanating from their son.

"No, Mom. Jeez, She's a victim of the breeding grounds. You know what happens in those, you've been helping me clear them out for the past several years after all. During the _eight months_ she was stuck in there, her home was torn down due to foundation damage and then further damage from a fight with a youma," Ranma cold tone left no room for argument, even from his mother. A light touch on his arm from Makoto broke his anger as he glanced at her.

"It's okay," the sidelined Senshi spoke gently, trying to channel a calm to Ranma that she herself didn't quite feel. "I've never been married, Saotome-san. And I was honestly beginning to think I never would be, until I met your son."

"Oh?" Nodoka's attention was now thoroughly sidetracked, as thoughts of grandchildren took to dancing in her mind's eye. She shook her head suddenly and sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, please forgive me. I'm afraid my time while Genma and my son were on the road has had an unfortunate effect on my mind. As long as I'm away from home I seem to be okay, but while I'm here it seems I'm not quite as cured of my insanity as I thought."

"It's okay, Mom. I've kinda adjusted to it, although I'm guessing that doesn't make you feel any better about it." Ranma waved it off, figuring it to be something that could be discussed later.

"Not particularly, I've never felt that one should have to be adjusted to in order to have a sense of normalcy. But then, my family has never really been normal, have we?" Nodoka smiled brightly. She reached over her back, unstrapping the blanket-wrapped bundle that Ranma wasn't sure he'd ever seen her without. "It's also time I passed this on, as per family instructions. Our traditions have always been to pass it down the line of our daughters. And sadly, it's also strictly forbidden to be a daughter that is not of our blood."

"But you don't have a dau-" Ranma's comment was interrupted at a light spraying from a squirt bottle Mako was holding. Her discovery earlier in the week that it put out just enough water to transform Ranma had left her quite entertained. A now wet-faced Ranma glared lightly at her, causing a giggle from the green-eyed girl. Ukyo smirked from behind her adoptive parents.

"In a sense, I do. And given your acclimation to your...condition, I feel that I'm justified in my decision. Ukyo agrees with us as well." Nodoka slowly unwrapped the bundle, revealing a second sword that Ranma knew wasn't one she usually carried. The design was a normal katana, until Ranma looked closer. Under the leather grip was an inlaid pattern of lines, all leading to a green jewel set deep in the center of the handle. A colored line flowed along the back of the blade as Nodoka pulled it from the solid black lacquered sheath, looking to somehow be the same material as the jewel, but with no sign of separation between the blade and the line's material. A simple golden disc sufficed for a guard between the handle and blade. "The family scrolls said the blade's origins aren't completely known, but we've been able to trace it back to as soon as the family started keeping records. No known creator, or who it belonged to before we came upon it. The jewel is said to change colors in the hands of owners who were adept enough. Adept at what, the scrolls never specified. It has never changed in my hands. To what purpose the jewel changes colors, is also not said." Nodoka's serious tone left Ranma wondering if there were more to what she wasn't saying.

"It sounds almost as if you're afraid of it." she stated simply, looking at her mother questioningly.

"I have my reservations with the blade. I have never sharpened it, yet it has never lost it's edge. The craftsmanship on it is superb, to say the least. But the family scrolls say that it's true destiny is in the hands of one who will make the jewel turn red. I've been holding off passing it on to you, because of the chaos that's been your life up until now, and worried that..." Nodoka stopped, her face looking forlorn.

"You're worried that for some reason since everything else likes to center on me, that perhaps the sword will as well." Ranma finished for her, folding her hands under her chin. She closed her eyes a moment before opening them back up and smiling lightly. "Even if that is the case, it's just another challenge, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Nodoka looked at her child for a moment, wondering if perhaps she had misjudged.

"If it's the will of Fate or whatever you wanna call it for me to be the blade's owner, then that's how it goes, isn't it?" Ranma giggled. "Let's face it, my father's a panda half the time, I'm a girl for half of mine, my life's been a rollercoaster of craziness, and some people would say I'm not quite all there either I'm sure. 'Normal' isn't something our family is accustomed to to begin with. I think we'd be confused if we were to ever become normal." Ukyo went into a giggle fit of her own, falling off of her seat trying not to bust out laughing any louder.

"Perhaps there is some truth in what you say," Nodoka answered slowly. She twitched slightly as Ukyo continued laughing. "It appears our other daughter at least finds some amusement in all this."

"Ha! Think about what she's sayin Mom. Your husband is a panda half the time. You've been carrying around a katana in a blanket for I have no idea how long now. Your son was taken from you on a ten year training trip and came back as a girl half the time. Your other daughter, me, came into your family by way of having been one of numerous girls who were promised your son's hand in marriage, being disowned by my family, and adopted by you." Ukyo stood up and sat back down in her chair, holding her sides. "We wouldn't know normal if it smacked us in the face."

"And on top of that I lost what I had left of my rational mind while you were gone and became so obsessed with my mental concoction of manliness that I was encouraging you to be Happosai all over again," Nodoka hid her face in one hand for a moment. Ranma's grin was answered with her mother's rueful smile. "Well, I certainly can't fault your reasoning for that then, can I? In that case, I guess my reservations were misplaced." Nodoka stood, holding the sheathed katana out to Ranma. "The blade is yours, my daughter. Wield it with honor."

"Thank you, Mother. I won't disappoint you," Ranma replied as she stood and took the blade with both hands, feeling a jolt of energy through the one hand as she took hold of the grip. As she pulled the blade free, a blue glow seemed to begin to emanate from the back of the blade. A glance at the handle left Nodoka gasping as the jewel set in it began to glow, blue swirling around the green before becoming solid. "Well, there's that color change, but it ain't red. Guess that's one less thing to worry about for now. Makes me curious though. Ucchan, I need your help for a second." Ukyo arched an eyebrow but followed Ranma as she walked out the back door into the yard. "Come at me."

"You nuts, Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Why do I even ask? I already know the answer. Alright, honey, I assume you don't want me to hold back then?"

"Would it be any fun if you did?" Ranma replied, grinning. "Just don't actually try to kill me is all I ask. I mean, I know you wanted my head before, but I was hoping we were past that now." Ukyo giggled before suddenly dashing forward, her battle spatula appearing out of nowhere as she swung her hands forward, sparks flying as Ranma parried the blow. A small grunt from Ukyo signaled the force behind the attack as both weapons sang out and rebounded back, Ukyo already spinning with the momentum for another vicious swing. Ranma blocked, using both hands on the handle to force the giant blade aside for a swing of her own, grinning as she saw Ukyo quickly sidestep behind her own handle using the shaft to block the strike. A quick jump back separated them again before Ukyo dashed forward once more, feinting to one side before quickly lashing out with the handle, cursing as Ranma blocked the strike with her arm. A simple pivot brought the spatula's blade forward in a strike that Ranma was forced to block using both hands once more. Damned spatula had momentum, she had to give it that much. As she grit her teeth to maintain the blade's balance she felt the jolt of energy suddenly spike forward, Ukyo yelping as the current moved down her weapon, numbing both of her hands instantly. Ranma quickly lowered her blade as Ukyo shook her hands, trying to get feeling back in them.

"What the hell was that?" Ukyo asked, her hands shaking as the feeling slowly came back into them. She swore lightly as she tried to pick up her battle spatula, but found herself unable to close her hands around the handle with enough force.

"Simply put, it's a little addition to my ki that I acquired lately. Around a week or so ago actually. I don't have it quite under control as well as I'd like to, I have to admit," Ranma admittedly sheepishly, a small blush highlighting her cheeks.

"Felt like it electrified my spatula," Ukyo commented, finally able to pick up her weapon again.

"That's actually exactly what happened," Ranma commented as she sheathed the katana again. She watched the jewel as it slowly faded back to green, leaving her curious what exactly was the cause of it. She set the thought aside to look as something to look into later. "Not sure what exactly caused it, even though I have my suspicions, but my ki seems to have developed a shocking personality of it's own." Makoto groaned at the pun from inside the house.

"That's all well and good I suppose. I'm guessing you think you can control it with enough time?" Ukyo asked as she put the battle spatula behind her shoulder where it promptly disappeared.

"I should be able to. If I sit and concentrate I can control how much of the electricity is in a ball of ki. I've even been able to throw a Mouko Takabisha with it. But I don't have it to the point where I can do it conciously without concentration." Ranma replied as she moved back into the house. As she sat down beside Makoto again, she was immediately leaned on. "Feeling okay, Mako?"

"A little tired, but nothing worse than usual," Makoto replied lightly. "You're always good to lean on for a little recharge."

"Great, my girlfriend thinks I'm her living battery," Ranma quipped, earning her a laugh from Nodoka and Ukyo. She set the katana down next to her, being careful to do so where it wouldn't get stepped on accidentally.

"Where'd that electric come from anyway, Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked as she ditched her usual chef's jacket, leaving her in a normal t-shirt. She stretched her arms up over her head before plopping back down across the chair.

"That's uh," Ranma stalled, looking at Mako for support. A move that quickly earned him glances from his assorted family before Kasumi walked in and set some food down. As she walked back out, Makoto got up from her seat.

"They're your family, I think they're gonna find out eventually anyway," Makoto told him, softening the comment with a quick kiss as she head towards the kitchen. "You can go ahead and tell'em while I help Kasumi."

"I get the feeling that you're about to tell me something else that would normally be a bit unbelievable, child of mine," Nodoka pinned Ranma with a look that spoke volumes as to what she had already heard.

"Well...to put it bluntly enough, my girlfriend's a Senshi," Ranma replied, fiddling with her ponytail again. Genma's face hit the floor in shock as Nodoka just twitched. Ukyo fell out of her chair with a heart-felt curse.

"You've gotta be kidding me Ran-chan. If that's the case, then which one?" Ukyo spat as she picked herself back up from the floor.

"Jupiter," Ranma quietly replied. This certainly hadn't been quite the reaction he'd expected from Uc-chan.

"But she's the one that's been...oh my god, no way, THAT's why she's been missing?" Ukyo's face drained of color as she put the pieces together quickly.

"Yes, Uc-chan, that's why she hasn't been in the articles with the rest of them for a while." Ranma's face turned irritable as she confirmed Ukyo's thoughts.

"But, that's, how in the hells did one of these places hold HER?" Ukyo finally crammed her thoughts into a coherent sentence.

"This latest breeding ground, I wasn't able to evacuate and demolish it like I was able to before," Ranma said, folding her hands under her chin. "It's funded, military style backing, cameras, drugs. It's not just another simple capture-and-keep like the other ones have been doing. This one had armed patrols, barbed wire, more than enough defenses to hold off a normal intruder. I haven't gone back yet, since I've been trying to figure out how best to approach it. I can't just go in and blow it apart, I don't know how many floor deep it goes, how many people are there exactly. I was lucky, Mako was in the ground floor, but I passed several sets of stairways on my way to her cell."

"You're not kidding, that's serious." Ukyo frowned as she took a place at the table next to a recovered Nodoka and Genma. "Do you think with more of us it would be easier to deal with?"

"I'm not afraid of dealing with the guards so much as I am the cameras," Ranma replied as everyone sat down and began to eat. "The public knows I'm the one who goes after those places. The public also knows the ones I'm usually tearing down are those cultists. But this one, something's different. Military style backing isn't something I want to get involved with any more than I have to. If I go in and get caught on camera, and they decide to level whatever organization it is towards me as a threat, then that places everyone around me in danger. If I knew I could limit their attacks to just me, then it wouldn't be a problem, but I know most military weapons are a little imprecise when it comes to collateral damage. I can't risk that."

"So you're thinking stealth may be your only real option." Ukyo said between bites.

"I'm not sure that's going to be enough to be honest. If I were going to go that route, then how often do I need to space out my intrusions? How long before those cameras spot me in the right light and I get tracked down anyway? I just don't like how much risk there is in it for those around me right now."

"Have you talked to the other Senshi about it yet?" Mako asked as she took her seat next to him, her face scrunching for a moment. "Leave my freaking ribs alone kid, yeesh, I'm trying to eat."

"Better your ribs than your bladder, Ranma kicked me there every chance he got while I was pregnant," Nodoka supplied from her seat, smirking. "Even in the womb he was looking for a dummy to beat on."

"No, Mako, I haven't really had a chance to talk to them about it. I was supposed to talk to Mercury about it the night I collapsed," Ranma replied, earning her a glance from Nodoka again.

"It seems you've had an eventful time since I spoke to you last," she said before returning to her dinner. Ranma sighed and went on to recount the events of the past few weeks.


	7. Brewing Tempest

Ch.07

**Brewing Tempest**

_Recollection of choices made in one's fate  
><em>_Begat the thoughts of one's own traits  
><em>_Will and words and whims of thought  
><em>_And the chaos of dreams oft held aloft_

The day after Nodoka's arrival was strangely relaxed, the absence of the Saotome parents a marked factor in this. A sudden urge to check on her own home had spurred Nodoka into dragging a loudly complaining Genma out the door bright and early. Ranma smiled as he listened to them leaving, his father's voice still clearly audible even after they passed the front gate.

"Well, looks like Pops' mouth still works just as well as ever," Ranma remarked as he helped clear the table of dishes. Makoto stretched, yawning until a spot on her back cracked loudly, her eyes scrunched closed for a moment until she was able to relax again.

"Please, if there's ever one muscle in that man's body that will never get weak, his tongue would be it," Nabiki commented, a sour tone to her voice. "As much respect as I have for his martial prowess, he'll lie faster than I ever thought about, just to get out his fat ass out of trouble he wasn't even in to begin with."

"Yeah, that's Pops for ya. Something felt different about him this time though," Ranma stopped on his way back into the room, both hands on his hips as he looked to the floor while sorting his thoughts. He finally shrugged after a moment. "We'll just have to see, I guess. There's nothing that can be done to change his old stubborn mind unless he wants to. "

"You still don't miss as much as ya let people think, do ya Ran-chan?" Ukyo supplied as she walked back into the living room, her long hair pulled over one shoulder as she ran a brush through it. "Something did change this time around. I can feel it in him too. Used to be he was just as disrespectful of me as he was of you when we'd meet up anywhere out there. These last few times, there was a hell of a lot less names being thrown at me. He even actually used MY name on several occasions. Genma just doesn't do that."

"Wow, it must be more serious than I thought," Ranma replied. He sat back down at the table where Mako proceeded to lean against him, wrapping her arms around him lightly, closing her eyes in momentary contentment.

"That does sound like a pretty serious change from how you described him, Ranma," Makoto supplied, her voice already slipping back near the edge of sleep.

"Never thought I'd see that either. You not even flinching as a girl rubs up on ya. You've changed too, Ran-chan. Used to put you in a panic soon as one of us leaned towards you." Ukyo's gentle smile shone with an honesty that reached her eyes.

"Sorry, Uc-chan..." Ranma stammered out quietly.

"Don't be. I'm over it, as I should have been back when I first found you and Genma. I held onto an ideal in my head for so long that it became more of an obsession with making my father happy than a matter of honor. A few years on the road finally beat that stupidity out of me. Well that and being disowned for refusing to become a monster by killing you." Ukyo sat herself down on the end of the couch. As she continued to brush out her hair, she began humming a light tune to herself. She chuckled a few minutes later. "We were so childish, weren't we?"

"Oh yes, all of us. Akane I think realized that before the rest of us," Ranma looked over at his shoulder as he spoke, frowning as he noticed that Makoto had fallen asleep again. "I think this pregnancy takes more out of her than she tries to let show. Which is odd, her senshi powers are supposed to help support her, or at least that's what I think Pluto told us."

"I didn't see any of the rooms switched over to a nursery yet." Ukyo frowned as a particularly tangled spot in her hair resisted her efforts to get the brush through it. She held the offending spot up in front of her face and stared at it for a moment, as if it would feel threatened and untangle on it's own.

"Got a contractor comin in this week to rework the downstairs. We figured that's the best place to set a nursery. Closer to the ground, and the center of the house. Less variations in temperature, at least according to Kasumi and Nabiki. Not my field of knowledge, to say the least." Ranma waved a hand dismissively. "Gonna have'em put in a new master bedroom as well. Connect it to the nursery."

"Sounds like you've got it pretty well planned out. Get any tests done on her kid yet? Maybe something wrong that's making it wear her out so badly?" Ukyo blew out a relieved breath as the snarl finally came undone, allowing the brush through her mane unhindered.

"Yeah, we did, but didn't get the results yet. I think it just has more to do with how she ended up pregnant." Ranma smiled sadly as he ran a hand lightly over Mako's hair.

"The breeding grounds? I was hoping that wasn't where her condition originated. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though." Ukyo sighed as she pulled her own hair back behind her head, quickly tying a large bow in it to hold it in place. "By the way, I don't think I ever said thank you enough for teaching me that Hidden Weapons technique. That is incredibly useful for my battle spatula."

"Yeah, I figured out of everyone I knew, other than Mousse, you'd be best served learning that. And you've done well, learning to use it mid-swing. Almost caught me off-guard a few times because of that. And honestly, I'm more surprised Mousse was willing to teach me. I knew the Amazons were tied to their traditions, but man, his attitude was almost a complete turn-around once Cologne dissolved the kisses." Ranma scratched at the side of his head as he thought back on all of it.

"Shampoo confused me more than Mousse did. No kisses meant Mousse didn't have a reason to try and fight you, since Shampoo wouldn't be after you anymore. I was surprised she didn't try to fight harder to keep going after you. Cologne placing you off-limits to the Kisses I'm guessing had more to do with that than anything else. The honorary tribe membership might have had something to do with it too I'm guessing. After all, that essentially makes you an Amazon in all but blood, so there's nothing stopping him. But I thought Shampoo's feelings were more than just loyalty to the tribal laws. So either I was wrong, or she decided that settling for friendship was a better approach than pushing for marriage."

"I'm guessing it was more the latter. After Cologne dissolved the Kisses, I didn't see Shampoo or Mousse for a week or two. When they came around finally, she was like Shampoo again, except I was 'Ranma' instead of 'Airen', and I didn't get the death-glomps. Then the impact happened. Those last few weeks before they went back, I couldn't have asked for more supportive friends. Any time I needed someone to take over somewhere, they were right there. More often though, it was a matter of Cologne forcing me and Shampoo to stop and rest," Ranma closed his eyes as he recalled those weeks.

"Yeah, I remember too. Shampoo and Mousse were kinda fun to watch, once Shampoo stopped the cold-shoulder act with him. Maybe she realized once it was all said and done that Mousse was able to push you decently well all that time. Well, when he can see. Ain't the brightest bulb in the pack, that's for sure, but if her Japanese is any indication, neither is Shampoo." Ukyo smirked as she let her thoughts drift to the past for a moment as well. "Then again, I guess none of us really have any room to talk about being bright, do we?"

"Ha! You speak the truth, o sister of mine." The Okonomiyaki chef rolled her eyes at Ranma's tone, a smile on her face.

"Don't even do that, you sound like Kuno." Ukyo giggled as Ranma's face immediately switched to a look of horror.

"Ugh, Ranma playing the part of Kuno? Spare me!" Nabiki poked a finger in her mouth, mock gagging. "I think I'd rather listen to another day of horribly delivered reports from the city council than hear someone butcher Kuno's butchered attempts at Shakespeare."

"At least you get paid to listen to that now." Ranma supplied, smiling lightly. Nabiki covered her face in her palm with a look of exasperation.

"I'm beginning to understand why Daddy was so stressed out over this stuff. Those old men look for any way they possibly can to make it so they make money off of anything, and to hell with anyone else. It's ridiculous! I'm all for making money, but not at the expense of the population!"

"The Ice Queen does have a heart!" Ukyo commented, laughing as Nabiki looked offended for a moment before joining the laugh.

"Hey, all I made people do was pay or be embarrassed, I wasn't trying to eat into their livelihoods. Except for maybe Kuno, and he doesn't count anyway." Ranma laid back where he was as Nabiki defended herself, gently laying Makoto's sleeping form across his lap and smiling as he enjoyed the camaraderie. Nabiki poked him in the side after a moment.

"Hey, did you know you're engaged again?" Ranma leaned his head up to look at Nabiki in confusion.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Mostly. But your cult forums apparently think you are. Should I disabuse them of the idea, or just let it ride for now?" Ranma laid his head back down.

"Who's the poor girl this time?"

"Well, according to the person posting about it, 'some tall girl with chestnut colored hair, and she's pregnant!'. I'll let you take a guess at who they might be talking about." Ranma's hand slapped across his face. "Well at least they're close this time, no?"

"Yeah, I suppose they are at that. Eh, let's let'em all stew on it for a bit, and see how things actually end up." Ranma closed his eyes again.

"Well, I for one wouldn't wanna be on the losing end of a bet, and I'm betting in the end they're right." Nabiki grinned as Ranma opened one eye again to look at her.

"Shush you, don't jinx me just yet." Ukyo bust out laughing on the couch as Nabiki rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>A short time later found Ranma relaxing again on the back porch, having nothing else to do at the time as Makoto had gone to take a nap once Ranma had prodded her awake once more. He smiled to himself as he felt Ukyo's aura behind him, not bothering to turn his head as he spoke, "Somethin on your mind Uc-chan?" The silence between them for a few moments was interrupted only by the chirping of birds and the subtle undercurrent of the air.<p>

"You're actually happy, aren't you?" Ukyo said quietly as she sat down next to him. She wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them to her chest.

"What kind of question is that?" He replied, worried that perhaps she wasn't as over their past as she had thought. She noticed his concern and began to panic a little, waving her hands in front of herself.

"No, no, I don't mean anything by it. I'm just happy to see that you're finally happy again," Tears began to make their way down her face, sniffles interrupting her speech. "For so long you were just nothing like the Ranma I came to love as a brother, as a friend. You were all closed up, and I had no idea how to even begin to help you. It just felt so rotten to be out there just roaming around, knowing you were still here trying to heal. It felt like I had abandoned you this time. You had a mission, but it felt like you were treating it more like a duty than a purpose."

"You know what the funny thing about family is, Uc-chan?" Ranma asked as he moved over and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Distance doesn't really matter to your real family. You can feel their support no matter where they are. Blood relations are nothing compared to our bonds. Your dad and mine both got something in common, they ain't got a lick of sense in'em when it comes to how to handle us 'kids'."

"You jerk!" Ukyo exclaimed, slapping Ranma in the shoulder, trying not to laugh in the process. She finally gave in, laughing in spite of herself. "Remind me never to feel sorry for you again!"

"Sorry, all these wonderful women I'm surrounded by made me all sappy and stuff," Ranma stuck his tongue out, earning him another round of laughter.

"Consider yourself lucky, you ass," Ukyo finally stammered out.

"Wouldn't think of it any other way, Sis."

* * *

><p>The stars shone brightly that night, giving Ranma a good view as he sat indian style, contemplating his current situations. Ukyo had gone for a walk down to where her cafe had once been, insisting that it was for the sake of nostalgia, while most of the family had called it an early night. Makoto's approach to the back porch went completely unnoticed as he sat engrossed in his thoughts. She began to say something but thought different just before she spoke, choosing instead to sit down next to him as quietly as she could manage.<p>

"Thank you," Ranma muttered after a moment as Makoto tried to make herself more comfortable.

"What?" She replied in confusion.

"Thank you. Not many people would stop and consider before nearly scaring me to death while I'm thinking out here. Kasumi and I joke all the time about me never thinking, and that right there is one of the reasons. When I do stop and think, I get a bit too concentrated. I actually didn't notice you until after you started to work on sitting down." Ranma leaned back on his hands, supporting himself on his arms as he stretched his legs out to the front. Makoto smiled and quickly took advantage of it, laying across his lap and looking out to the yard. Ranma chuckled. "I'm thinking you like that spot."

"You'd be right. For some reason it's comfortable to me. And I just didn't want to interrupt in case you were meditating. It's always hard to tell from behind someone if they're actually paying attention. I've scared Usagi within an inch of her life a few times not thinking about that. She's a bundle of energy to begin with, so if you catch her from behind while she's concentrating on something, she's off like a rocket." The two sat in companionable silence for some time, enjoying the crisp but pleasant night air.

"What's it like to be normal?" Ranma asked after a moment, earning him a raised eyebrow as Makoto rolled herself over to be able to look up at him.

"If I ever find out, I'll let you know. But, according to Setsuna, we're all gonna be doing this for a loooong time." Ranma laughed as it occurred to him what he had just asked a Sailor Senshi.

"Guess I didn't think that one through well enough. It's like the pot asking the kettle what it's like to be black, ne?" Makoto giggled lightly. "But other than since you became a Senshi, what was it like? I'm curious, since I've never really known a life without at least my martial arts. And then all the other crazy crap Pops piled up on us. And no one else I'm really close to has been normal either."

"I'm not sure exactly what to tell you. Before I became a Senshi, my life just felt, I don't know, incomplete. So even then, I suppose I've never really been normal. But back then, daily concerns to me were just watching for bullies at the schools, trying to make friends, working on my hobbies. Plants, cooking, martial arts. I was just always looking for the next big thing, I guess."

"So then, I guess being normal isn't really that much different, is it? So much for thinking I was somehow missing out on something." Ranma's stoic face looked up at the stars. A noisy sigh escaped him, causing Mako to sit up, looking at him in concern.

"What brings this about? And what's wrong?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as she moved closer.

"It's just something that I've always been curious about. I've always been able to jump higher, hit harder, move faster. That has been _my_ normal. To everyone else, these are just the most amazing feats, but when I look at them, all I can think is that I do the same things every day. They're not nearly as big a deal as people make them out to be. But then I see what other people think are their limits, and I realize just how much more I'm capable of than they are." Ranma looked down into Mako's eyes. "You're the first person I've gotten close to who is anything even remotely close to normal, Senshi powers notwithstanding. Pops is nuts, Mom's only slightly less so. Ukyo's a great sister, but let's face it, she fights on a higher level too, and uses food for attacks. Nothing normal about that. Tofu and Kasumi are both extremely adept at ki, and Tofu's also something around the ranking of a Grandmaster in Tai Chi. Nabiki _might_ be considered normal, but she's still a Tendo, and while the rest of the family is odd, she's just as odd with her concentration on moneymaking. Akane was an above average martial artist as well, when she put her mind to it."

"You're right, I guess you haven't really had much for normal human contact, have you?" Mako asked, playing with Ranma's unbraided ponytail as they talked. "Normal is overrated, honestly. I look back at those days before I became Sailor Jupiter, and I can't even remotely imagine going back to them. The thoughts, the concerns, the worries, they all feel so second-rate after everything else I've been through. Imagine if say, the highest you could jump was on top of a car, or if the fastest punch you could throw was still fully visible to normal people, all the way from start to finish. You'd be screaming to be back at full power, itching to move at full speed again. It's how I am right now, to be honest. I can still _feel_ my Senshi powers inside me, just like I normally can. But when I try to call them forth, there's nothing, no response."

"I figure that's probably driving you up the wall right now," Ranma replied, pulling Mako up into his lap, earning him a gentle smile as she leaned against him.

"It is, and it isn't. I'm used to having constant access to my transformation, but now that I know why I can't call on it, I understand it. After all, I don't think a skintight leotard and mini-skirt are going to look very good surrounding a watermelon sized baby belly. Not to mention it wouldn't be comfortable at all." Ranma chuckled as Mako grimaced at the thought. "Keep laughing, I'm gonna stick you in one one day, see how you like it!"

"Well at least you'd look good in it either way." Ranma panicked for a moment as his off-handed compliment earned him a very intense and sudden kiss. As they seperated for air, Ranma gathered his wits back together again. "Okay, not that I'm arguing, but what was that for?"

"For saying I'd look good even while I'm pregnant," Mako answered as she blushed, looking down at a space somewhere between the two of them.

"I wasn't kidding the other day when I said you were a beautiful woman, Mako. Your child is my child as far as I'm concerned, I don't care who the father of it actually is."

Ranma was treated to a second sizzling kiss, leaving him breathless.

* * *

><p>Ranma woke early the next morning, reaching out with his senses to check on the household, unwittingly copying Kasumi's waking actions over the years. Nodoka and Genma were still out cold in the downstairs guest room, and would be for a few more hours unless they were bothered. Ukyo apparently had chosen the couch for sleeping on. Tofu and Nabiki still asleep, Kasumi in the kitchen. Yep, everyone where they should be. He stretched where he was, enjoying the feeling of muscles gently coming back to life. As he moved around the little bit, he heard a soft groan, reminding him of his bed's other occupant.<p>

"Well this'll take some getting used to I admit," he murmured as he looked down at Mako's sleeping form, One hand instinctively moving to smooth her hair. The action caused her to stir, her eyes fluttering gently open. "Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"I'd have woke up soon anyway, I always do it seems if you leave after I fall asleep next to you," she replied, sleepily moving to hug him closer to her, snuggling her face against his chest.

"I still think you just like me cuz I'm like a living pillow for you." Ranma joked, his arms wrapping around her shoulders as she pulled tighter against him. He wondered for a moment if perhaps his jest had made her angry again.

"It's not just that, nice as it may be," Mako replied, looking up at him, her emerald eyes looking worried. Unshed tears shimmered briefly in the morning twilight. "I've been alone almost my entire life. My parents died before I could really appreciate them. You bring something else into my life that I've never felt before, a fullness I'm not used to, and I like it. I got so close so many times before. Times like right now, I don't ever want to let go. I'm always afraid I won't be able to hold you again."

"You haven't been completely alone, have you? I mean, the girls were always there for you, right?" Ranma asked, looking down at her in concern. So much that he still didn't know, countered by how much he did know already. He had given her the abbreviated version of his life, with some highlights from points, but it occurred to him that he hadn't really asked about her past much. He knew some of what the Sailors had supposedly gone through from Nabiki looking them up after he started helping them, but on a personal level, he realized he only knew what he had discovered since he'd first met her.

"No, I didn't meet them until we were in the later half of school. Before that, it was just caretakers and foster homes up until I decided I was tired of that and started living on my own. The girls, they're the best friends anyone could ask for, we'd all protect each other with our lives," Mako rambled on, shifting around so she could press herself closer to Ranma. He moved one of his arms under her back as his free hand reached down and rubbed gentle circles on her belly, smiling as he felt a small thump from inside her. "There's just a small piece of my heart that the girls have never really been able to fill. _You_ fill that spot. I guess maybe that's why I've always been so boy crazy. Just trying to find someone to heal that spot."

"Well, I guess you don't need to search anymore, since we found each other. No matter how round-about a process it may have been," Ranma replied, bending down and kissing on the side of Mako's neck, earning him an appreciative sigh. "Alright, we'd best get up soon if we want a chance to wash up before breakfast. Kasumi's already downstairs workin on it."

A seemingly short half-hour found the couple approaching the kitchen, Makoto reaching for the teakettle as she walked through the doorway. She quickly poured the water, breathing deeply in the minty smell. Nabiki's tea blend was more and more to her liking these days, it seemed, not that the younger sister seemed to mind. Mako's willingness to buy more any time they got low quickly overrode the monetary objections that were brought forth.

"Good morning you two," Kasumi piped cheerily as she turned to carry a few dishes into the living room.

"Anything we can help with Ka-chan?" Ranma asked as he poured himself a glass of juice.

"Not unless you can think of anything specific that you want that I don't have out here. Waffles sounded good when I woke up. You _may_ want to get to them before your father is roused from his nightly coma by the smell though. Last I checked the man still eats more than three of us put together."

* * *

><p>Makoto helped Kasumi clear the dishes from the table as Ranma moved out into the back yard, stretching lightly to prepare for his morning routines. Mako lost sight of him as she stepped into the kitchen, a content look on her face. She stopped as she set down the larger than usual pile of plates, turning to face Kasumi.<p>

"Something on your mind, Mako-chan?"

"Forgive me if this seems an odd question, Kasumi," she began, a small frown of concentration on her face as she attempted to find the proper words. "Why does it feel almost as if the rest of the world doesn't affect your family?"

"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked, stopping in the midst of putting a clean glass back in the cupboard.

"I mean, it seems like no matter how much you're caught up in things, none of you seem to be bothered by it." Makoto blushed, suddenly feeling embarassed to have even asked. "There was an attack at the mall that day we went out to get me my new clothes, and then there was the attack here at the house. As a Senshi, it always felt like these were an interruption of my life, and each fight felt like a huge moment. To you guys, it feels almost as if you just aren't bothered by it, or like it's an every day occurrence."

"Well, that is to be expected I suppose. We have been dealing with unusual happenings for most of our lives. First our father, and Mister Saotome as well, were trained by a man who has a level of perversion only matched by his prowess in the martial arts." Kasumi resumed her chore, mentally chiding herself for allowing the question to dislodge her routine. Another side of her mind fought to point out that it wasn't exactly a normal every-day question. She stopped again as the latter side won out. "I guess you could say that our fathers set us up for unusual lives, not to mention Ranma's experiences traveling with his father. And the combined strangeness once they showed up was even crazier than either of our families had been alone. But from that oddness, they brought a viewpoint to our lives that makes us more than capable of dealing with all of it."

"I'm not sure I see what you're saying." Mako frowned deeply. "I'm a fighter as well. I'm nowhere near Ranma's level, much as I hate admitting to that, but I have a feeling he's going to fix that soon as he gets a chance. But it feels to me like there's some sort of mentality that all of you have that somehow allows you to deal with and surpass what are normal limitations for people."

"Ahhh, now I see what you're asking for. You're curious how we not only accept the moments of craziness, but do so with smiles on our faces. Is that it?" Kasumi smiled, more than certain she had figured out finally where this conversation was truly headed. A heartfelt nod was her answer as the two girls walked back into the main room, seating themselves at the table near Nodoka. The older woman watched intently as her child and her husband both began running through more katas, slowly stepping up their speed with each run. "First off, there's one of the basics of our school of martial arts. Anything Goes. And, much to some people's dismay, the name is nearly an indication of just about all of our mentality. Some people out there fight dirty, to say the least. While we frown on that, we accept that while not honorable, people WILL do things that are underhanded, sneaky, and just flat-out wrong. Ranma, much to his irritation and embarrassment, has had to resort to some...uh, less than manly tactics on occasion."

"You mean occasions where he's gotten changed into a girl and used his boobs to his advantage," Mako blinked at her own comment as Kasumi nodded. Nodoka glanced over her shoulder for a moment, an odd smile on her face as she went back to observing her family. "Wow that sentence sounded all sorts of wrong."

"Yes, it did, but it is true," Kasumi continued. "Ranma is prepared to do anything it takes to win, as long as he feels it's honorable. An opponent could ignore her chest when she's female, or they can let it be a weakness that causes them to lose focus. To him, that's their own fault, not his, so if he presses that advantage and they fall because of it, it's still honorable. On the other hand he prefers not to use a bladed weapon, or indeed any weapon, because of the possibility that a moment of lesser concentration on his part could turn a disabling strike into a lethal one. He doesn't want someone's death at his hands to be because he slipped with an attack."

"Okay, but still, how is it you're all so...well, happy?" Mako asked. The infectious merriment of this household had confused her to no end, even as she enjoyed being surrounded by it.

"Ahh, that, is best answered by asking a few questions as well. If something hurts you, is it best to face it and smile? Or should you run from it and hide? Or perhaps stand and face it, angry to the core and blinded by rage?"

"That's..." Mako stopped mid-thought. Was there a right answer to that?

"To us, smiling at it is best. A smile is a sign of acceptance. If you can look at it with a smile on your face, no matter how crazy that smile may be in some cases, you're not as scared of it. The little problems in life, they're nothing compared to some of the more serious things we face. Embarrassment is easily laughed away. We're all, for the most part, content with ourselves. Can we be better? Yes, we can. But are we bad as we are? Not at all." Kasumi smiled and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Back when Father was around, and Akane as well, we were happy, but perhaps not as much as now. Father was always sad at his core, from losing Mother. In the same fashion Akane was angry, something that changed a lot because of Ranma, although it took a while for her to let go of that piece of herself. She took Mother's death hardest of the three of us, and I think her anger was her way of holding onto the past. I worked at keeping the house running smoothly as a way to work off my feelings about it. Nabiki took to making sure we had money, although I still disagree with how she did so at times. The worry and anxiety over the financial matters turned her into a bit of a cold person at times, but her core remained consistent for the most part. But again, Anything Goes. It's as much part of our life as part of our school. Father never fully recovered. He got more lively after Genma and Ranma showed up, but he was never anything quite like he was before Mother passed away."

"But most people I've met who have had all that happen, they're so deep in despair, it's even enough to make Usagi settle down. I would be crushed by all that you've been through," Mako interjected, stopping as Kasumi shook her head.

"Would you really? Other families have been through the same and come out more or less intact. You even, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You lost both your parents, and had no siblings to support you. I'm sure that hasn't been easy either, and your recent issues. Yet, here you are, smiling and laughing when you let your guard down. Ranma has fought tooth and nail almost his entire life under Genma's training, and the chaotic events that have always surrounded him. What we've been through? Nothing compared to what he's dealt with. The pain we've endured? It hurts, but ask him what it's like to know that a cat, something that is normally a loving pet, is a sign of absolute fear for him. He's made strides all of this time against that piece of his training." Kasumi's normally smiling face took on a hint of irritation. "He gave you a very condensed version of just how much damage has been done to him when he explained his life to you."

"Then how is he so confident all the time?" Makoto was beginning to feel as if she might have been better off not asking after all. Kasumi's musical giggle earned another moment of confusion.

"Ranma is confident because, he figures, he's survived everything that's been thrown at him so far. Lost a fight or two? Sure. But in the end, he always comes back and wins. Ranma doesn't ever lose completely. He truly believes that every battle can be won. It's just a matter of figuring it out in time to come out on top. And _that_ is what he excels at. He's not too fond of thinking outside of fights, even if he has gotten much better at it now than he used to be. But in a fight? He is nothing short of a genius. Compared to everything he's already survived, everything that he holds back in his mind on a constant basis, very few enemies can compare to the shadows of your own insecurities." Kasumi grinned brightly as she stood, preparing to return to her chores. "Besides, we wouldn't know how to be any other way, much as I'm sure you wouldn't be able to see your friends acting any way other than how you're used to seeing them. To us, these little days like this really are a blessing. And they're a cushion, allowing us time to relax between the bouts of strange events that will always occurr around us."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this Ranma? I was talking with Kasumi earlier, and she said you don't like using weapons." Mako asked as they walked towards the dojo.<p>

"I'm sure that my mother feels that it's necessary, since she gave me the family sword, and I'm not about to refuse her this chance. I'm just not sure that I actually _need_ this training she thinks I do. Pops taught me the basics with pretty much every weapon we got our hands on." Ranma replied, his hands locked behind his head. "So unless she's training me in something far more advanced, I'm gonna be _really_ bored, and I kinda don't do well trying to disguise that. I'm more worried about that than just handling a weapon."

"I guess we'll see then, ne?" Mako retorted, smiling at the bright sunshine that lit the walkway.

"I sense another sunbeam nap in your future." Ranma joked as he walked up the stairs.

"Oh shush, you fall asleep in the sun just as fast as I do. And it's even worse when you're a girl." A small chuckle answered her soft barb. They opened the door of the dojo to find Nodoka meditating with a rack of wooden practice katanas set to the side of the room.

"Welcome, child of mine," Nodoka said from her position, before bowing to the three small shrines on the wall and turning to face them. "Let us take the weapons outside. I do not want to damage the dojo or the shrines in the case that one of us were to go amiss with a technique."

Ranma chuckled as he walked over, bowing deeply to the shrines himself before picking up the wooden rack and following his mother outside.

Nodoka sighed as she faced Ranma, bringing her own practice weapon up to stance. "I feel almost as if you're not taking this seriously," she said with forced resignation.

"It's not that I don't take you seriously Mom, and it's not meant as an offense to you, I just don't like using weapons the majority of the time. I thought you knew this?" Ranma replied, bringing up his own wooden katana. He had been carefully keeping his speed down to a point so that his mother just couldn't strike him. A sudden shout from Genma signaled another start, the sound of clattering wood echoing across the compound. Ranma twisted and turned around Nodoka's strikes, smirking at the thought of how much slower this pace was than what he was used to. He twisted around another thrust, his weapon up under his mother's guard before the attack had even finished.

"There's also this matter, Mother. It's not that you aren't good. Not the problem at all because you _are_. But you're trying to take it easy on me, and as long as you're doing that, I'm barely even trying in order to keep up with you." Nodoka's face flinched. Ranma's gentle smile dropped to a concerned look as he stepped back, a look that spoke volumes of his thoughts about hurting Nodoka's feelings. "You've gotta remember, Mom. I'm not one of the kids you're used to seeing who are barely able to hold the blade. Pops _did_ teach me the basics after all, if for no other reason than to defend myself against a sword. But in order to make me have to think and react the way you want, you're gonna have to actually _try_ to hit me."

"So what you're telling me is that, at least on this matter, I need to quit mothering you." Although Nodoka's face was stoically set, Ranma could still sense the waves of frustration in her aura as he nodded in response. The older woman sighed, her shoulders slumping for a moment before straightening back out, her weapon coming up to a different stance from her earlier basic one. "Very well then, child of mine, I suppose it's best that I teach you as an heir to my art, rather than as a student to it. Your father wasn't the only decent martial artist in the family before yourself. And it's not as if your father and I didn't do any training of our own while we were out and about," Ranma blinked as suddenly Nodoka's aura changed. The overwhelming layer of maternal instinct that Ranma normally sensed disappeared, replaced by a flat and serious overtone. Nodoka's face settled into an unreadable mask as she seemed to shift backwards without moving, before suddenly dashing back forward. She was in Ranma's face as he blinked, surprised at the sudden burst off speed.

"Ichi no Tachi: Enpi!" Ranma pushed his ki to a higher limit to increase his speed as Nodoka's wooden weapons suddenly sheared the air in front of him, two strikes crossing directly after each other, leaving a momentary distortion in an X pattern.

"_There was definitely a difference to the ki she put into that. I'm not sure if she's even aware of that._" Ranma thought to himself as he landed from his backwards leap. He looked up to find Nodoka had stopped where she was,her weapon extended straight above her. "_Okay Mom, that doesn't make sense, that's a severely open stance,_" he thought as he tensed to leap forward. He just caught his mother's voice in the wind as he started to push off the ground.

"Rei no Tachi: Kaiten," Ranma blinked as he sensed energy building rapidly, seeing it gather at the tip of the blade before Nodoka's swing seemed to cut the very air as it snapped through a cutting motion downwards in front of her, a beam of energy shooting forward from the slashing motion. Ranma pushed with his ki to stop his leap, twisting to one side as much as he could. One leg still got clipped in the process by the wave of energy, a small explosion of light bursting from the contact point and sending Ranma crashing across the yard and into the wall. A small indent was left in the bricks as he fell to the ground, gasping to recover the wind that was knocked from him. Mako winced at the impact, having a good idea of how it felt to get hit with that kind of force.

"Holy...hells..." as he pushed himself to his feet he wobbled, falling back over to the side as Nodoka walked calmly in front of him and knelt down on one knee.

"I assume I have your attention now." Nodoka's tone left no doubt as to the phrase being a statement. Ranma nodded, not trusting his voice as he recovered. "Good. Genma may have taught you the basics of weaponry. Consider me an advanced level of his original teachings. My aim is not to make you prefer the sword. Merely to make you _more_ than just basically proficient with it. And be warned, that ability that you just saw is the final skill, but by the time I'm finished, you will know so much more that using _that_ one will be but a final effort." A small smile crossed Nodoka's otherwise set face. "Knowing you though, you're going to take that one and make it your basic go-to ability." Ranma's trademark smirk crossed his face for a moment.

"_Perhaps this day won't turn out as boring as I thought after all,_" he thought as he regained his feet.

* * *

><p>Nodoka sat at the table after dinner that evening, reflecting back on the day. Ranma had not only outdone, but completely obliterated her expectations with how fast he had learned her techniques. She had heard on numerous occasions from the Tendo girls and her husband how quick a learner he was, but to see it was entirely another matter. Kasumi walked in, setting down a teacup that Nodoka gracefully accepted.<p>

"You look a little shocked, Auntie," Kasumi's usual gentle smile spoke volumes. Nodoka nodded.

"I was proud of my child before. Now I'm not only proud, but amazed. To hear of his abilities, or to see them in action, is one thing. But to teach him, it's like teaching a duck to swim. He takes to everything so quickly. I've already taught him everything I know that he didn't already learn from his father." Nodoka shook her head, the disbelief still clinging to her mind. Even Kasumi blinked a moment.

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"Oh my." Silence settled between the two women for a moment.

"So what do you think of Miss Kino?" Kasumi's face lit up with a brilliant smile at Nodoka's question.

"She's wonderful for him. He has had to get used to her, that much is certain. But in the end, she is a gentle soul, possessed of that same never-back-down spirit that Akane had. I'm curious to see how she is once the trauma of the breeding grounds is finally gone." The Saotome mother frowned lightly.

"I'm surprised Ranma hasn't gone back to tear that one down, considering how much it's interfered with her life." Nodoka commented, quirking an eyebrow as Kasumi giggled.

"He's been too busy dealing with her interfering with his life, I think. Besides, much as I hate to say it, if it wasn't for that particular ground, he wouldn't have found her at all. And I think, perhaps, this is someone's way of paying him back for all the trouble that his life has been so far."

"I guess we can hope so. I know enough to know that this is probably not the end of his adventures."

"Well, he wouldn't want to get bored, now would he?"

* * *

><p>The next day started cloudy, the dark forms releasing their cargo at a light pace, promising higher than average chances of shapeshifting in the greater Tokyo region. Ranma in girl form sat on the floor in front of Mako, in what was now their room, eyes heavy with pleasure as the taller girl ran a brush through the mass of long red hair.<p>

"I had no idea that this could feel so good," commented, allowing herself to relax and float on the moment of peace.

"Your hair is so long, I'm surprised you've never just sat and brushed it out before," Makoto commented as she moved further down the ruby colored mass, easing herself down to the floor to make it easier.

"Not really been much of a girl as you'll recall. And before, even after I accepted it, I just pretty much let myself go with the dresses and such. I know how to dress up, but Kasumi's always just treated me like Ranma, girl or guy it's still the same. And Nabiki's never exactly been a 'normal' girl anyway. She likes making money, and prefers not to keep her hair any longer than she needs to in order to make sure her customers she deals with _know_ they're dealing with a woman." Ranma lazily leaned back again Mako, eliciting a giggle from the taller girl.

"I can't brush your hair if you're laying on all of it, silly," Mako quipped as she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She grinned playfully before leaning down and planting a series of light kisses up the side of Ranma's neck, who unwittingly moaned in response. Even Mako's hands sliding under her shirt to rub their way up her belly to the bottom of her bra weren't triggering any of her usual panicked responses. "I'm guessing you've never really let yourself relax like this as a girl either, have you?"

"Never had a chance or reason to honestly. Even for all of her 'I hate boys' yelling, Akane always saw my girl side as more of a friend than a girlfriend." Ranma nearly purred at the sensation of Mako's soft hands on her own skin. She knew without looking that it was obvious she was enjoying the attention. "By all that's holy, I swear this body is just too sensitive or something. If I actually let myself relax and enjoy something, it's like it triggers an overload of arousal."

"Maybe I need to get you some chocolate ice cream," Mako burst out into a full laugh as Ranma's eyes suddenly popped wide open, her tongue subconciously licking her lips.

"Oh my," Ranma muttered as another normally unused fuse blew in the back of her brain. A sudden groan from Makoto behind her caused her to turn, just in time to see Mako looking like she wanted to be sick.

"Okay, that's not cool, felt like the brat just hit me in like five different spots at the same time. And at least three of those were all right in my stomach. Good thing I didn't eat yet." Makoto's face scrunched as her body settled back down.

"Well, we probably should get something to eat. Maybe that was it's way of telling you it's hungry." Mako sighed noisily, waiting for Ranma to get up, reaching up for a helping hand as she stood herself.

"It can't be starving, kid's grown enough to make me feel like it's doubled it's size since you rescued me." Mako grimaced again as another round of kicks hit her innards. "Okay, fine, let's go eat, anything to get the kid to quit using my stomach as a speed training bag."

* * *

><p>Genma sat a ways back in the living room, watching the rain fall gently on the pond in the back yard of the Tendo compound. He saw Ranma descend the stairs from the corner of his eye, but chose instead to concentrate on the serenity of the pond. A serenity that he was having trouble feeling within himself.<p>

"You seem irritated, Pops," Ranma said from behind him, her soprano voice cutting clearly through the patter of the rain.

"You know me, Ranma, I was never fond of the rain even before it made me grow fur." Genma grunted, his expression as sour as ever. "And since you won't allow fighting within the house, and Tendo did put you in charge, it would be dishonorable of me to go against those wishes."

"You've changed," the redhead said quietly, sitting on her knees beside her father.

"I've done some thinking over the past few years, child," Ranma blinked. Since when did Genma not call him Boy in either form? "Yes, I know, amazing concept that the panda can think."

"Well I'll admit it's not been your strongest point over the years, but I'd be dumber than a bamboo shoot to say you _can't_ think. You did teach me the basics and some of my more advanced techniques after all." Ranma fiddled with her ponytail, freshly braided since Makoto had gotten bored after breakfast.

"What else have I taught you though?" Genma sighed as Ranma blinked in response. "I have been shameless and dishonorable at best in the way I handled raising you, I have been a coward in how I handled things with your mother. I let my greed, my gluttony, and my fear control how I taught you. Not in my direct methods, but in my indirect teachings of your everyday life while we were on our trip. Even now, knowing that I am at fault for all of that, a part of me wants to run and deny it all instead of laying claim to my mistakes."

"I always figured it was a result of Happosai training you. Well, after I grew up and was able to think about it, I did," Ranma replied, more and more curious where this conversation was headed.

"Perhaps it was. Perhaps it was my own weak will. Even my techniques that I created on my own were based off of less than honest ideals." Genma looked up at the grey clouds, wrinkles from the years showing lightly at his temples.

"Some of the lessons we learn I guess just take us most of our lives." Ranma quietly said, listening as the rain quietly fell. "If it's any help, I always thought you were doing what you thought was right."

"While that does feel like a small piece of forgiveness, in light of all that I've done, I'm afraid that it's still a very small pennance. So much of what I've done was so wrong, and the longer I look at how you are now, the more I realize that. Much of the training would be considered atrocious by today's standards, let alone things like the Neko-ken. I cursed myself forever in the back of my mind for that idiocy, even as I stupidly encouraged you to 'learn' it," Genma sat his glasses to the side, rubbing his face in his hands. "And then from there, the curse, all the fiancees. Nothing I did was with your best interests in mind. It was all thinking of myself, thinking of how best to keep myself secured for the future."

"Pops, unless I miss my mark, you've realized your mistakes. Yeah, it's a bit too late to fix them with me now." Ranma's eyes looked upwards as she thought on it. "I suppose you and Mom could try to have another kid. Mom _was_ kinda young when she had me as I recall you mentioning once, plus you're both well trained martial artists. A little sibling would be kinda neat, though the age difference would probably be killer at this point. But that's neither here nor there. You've learned. Use what you've learned. Isn't that what you taught me?"

"That it is, Ranma. The problem is, the one I taught, is the only one I'll teach, I fear." Ranma looked at Genma with a tilt to her head. "I'm not the kind to run a dojo. Train someone one on one, sure, but I don't have the temper for dealing with a building full of people who aren't completely passionate about the Art. One of the principles of learning to fight according to some schools is knowing one's own limits. Unfortunately, I know some of mine all too well. I am not meant for teaching classes."

"You _have_ changed," Ranma replied cryptically. "You're not the same old man I always viewed you as while we were on the road."

"I feel that your mother has much to do with that. It seems we were both the other's centering piece. Without the two of us together, we drifted down our own personal paths of madness," Genma buried his face in his hands. "So many years of pain and self-enforced solitude while I trained you. All the while thinking I was making both of us stronger, when all I really did was weaken us compared to what we could have been."

"Well, you've got time now, and there's no use dwelling on the past any longer than it takes to learn from it. No time like the present to train yourself for a better tomorrow." Ranma's easy smile proved infectious as Genma looked up at his son turned daughter. "Perhaps not today, I don't wanna have to smell ya anymore than Mom does, but next time we've got a clear day, we'll do some serious sparring."

"I think I'd like that."

* * *

><p>"So what's the word then, Ka-chan?" Ranma asked as he came into the kitchen that afternoon. "You said the results came back for the kid, right? Everything okay with it?"<p>

"Well, yes, they did come back clean on that matter. There's nothing wrong with the child," Kasumi's normal calm and pleasant demeanor was slowed and unsure, causing a sense of worry in Ranma as well.

"Alright, then why're you gettin nervous about talkin to me about this? If nothing's wrong with the kid, then we got nothing to worry about, right?" Ranma crossed his arms as he leaned back against a counter, his curiosity driven higher than before.

"It's the paternity test that has me worried," Kasumi finally answered after a moment. Ranma cocked his head to the side a little.

"It's not Kuno or something is it?"

"No! Thank heavens, no, it's definitely not him. It's...well, I don't quite believe it, but at least they say that it's you," Kasumi stammered out. Ranma blinked several times in confusion.

"O...kay...not quite what I expected to hear I have to admit, but I can think of worse things," Ranma replied finally, one hand scratching the side of his head. "Alright, how the hell does THAT work, considering I never actually met Mako till after she got pregnant to begin with?"

"I think I can shed some light on that for you." Kasumi and Ranma both turned to see Setsuna walking into the kitchen in her Senshi guise.

"Wow, I didn't think anyone could actually slip into the house without me or Kasumi either one noticing," Ranma commented, already trying to puzzle his way through her appearance.

"I'm guessing most people can't slip into a physical space in-between time either." As she walked in, Setsuna willed away the Time Key, leaning back against a counter. "Basically, you got lucky. Whoever was in charge of that program in there, was just picking men at random from a pool of chosen DNA. They got the samples from that big DNA registration the government did back after the Impact. They did a full clone of the DNA, then injected it into the mother," Setsuna grimaced as she recalled the images seen in the Time Gates. It wasn't _really_ an injection, but the term would suffice to keep things simple. Better that most people never knew those details anyway.

"So in other words, we got lucky that my DNA was chosen. And that's the end of it." Ranma smirked. "Guess Kami is always lookin out for me a bit anyway. After all, wouldn't work well to _really_ screw over their favorite toy, now would it?"

"I suppose that's true." Setsuna grinned in return.

"Besides, even if Kami screws me over a little bit, I always seem to have enough friends and luck to get out of it all on top. Just gotta roll with the punches is all," Ranma commented as he walked out of the kitchen, waving back at Setsuna as he walked down the hall to his room. Setsuna smiled as she looked to Kasumi.

"You knew, didn't you?" Kasumi asked, an odd smile on her face.

"I may have, but you know something too that you're not telling them," Setsuna replied, chuckling as Kasumi attempted to look innocent before giving up and smiling. The other woman obviously knew already.

"I may be waiting to let it be a surprise. I had a suspicion when I realized Makoto was looking...um, how to say, a bit more full than she should at this point in her pregnancy. Well, between that and how tired she's been. I'm guessing where she was before, she wasn't getting enough nutrition to allow the proper growth, so now she's making up for the lost time." Setsuna nodded.

"_Such a scary level of observation in this family, it amazes me that they would ever miss anything,_" the Senshi thought to herself. "Well, I'm gonna head up there, call it a hunch that I'm gonna have to help explain this to Makoto."

"Thank you again, Setsuna-san."

* * *

><p>A light knock echoed through the room, waking Mako from her nap. "Come in," she said groggily, not bothering to move from the bed.<p>

"Hey, it's just me, Kasumi got the test results back for the kid," Ranma supplied as he opened the door and walked in. He quickly moved over to the bed and sat down next to Mako, reaching over her and gently running his hand up and down her back.

"Well, if you're in here, then either it's great news, or horrible news, so which is it?" Mako asked, pressing back against his hand. That just felt _too_ good on those sore muscles.

"I think I need to get you in the furo more or something as tensed up as your back is all the time anymore. Anyway, the test came back clean for all the possible problems. Except for the paternity test," Ranma frowned, wondering how this conversation was gonna go.

"The paternity test? Does that even matter? It's not like I'll ever see the guy again anyway." Makoto's face grew angry at the thought.

"Actually, you're apparently talking to him right now," Ranma replied, frowning more.

"Wait...what?" Makoto's face shifted quickly between anger, confusion, and betrayal as her mind raced to figure out just how it would have happened.

"I know, I was confused too. Setsuna says apparently it wasn't the _men_ there that impregnated you." Ranma snorted with controlled anger, giving voice of a sort to his thought of the _men_ in that place.

"How could it NOT have been?!" Mako nearly yelled, the confusion frustrating her. Setsuna quickly appeared around the corner of the doorway, only to have a glare leveled at her by the emerald-eyed brunette. "Ranma says you know how this happened."

"I do, Makoto. Do you want to see? I'll warn you, it's _not_ pleasant," Setsuna's face seemed set in stone, but a small quirk at the corner of her mouth gave away her feelings of disgust. Makoto swallowed worriedly and nodded.

"I have to know Setsuna. I'll be second-guessing it until I know for sure." A swing of the legs and a push of the arms brought Mako to a seated position at the edge of the bed.

"Very well," Setsuna held out the end of the Time Key, the Garnet Orb towards Mako. A small glow extended towards the Senshi of Jupiter's hand as she hesitated slightly before touching the red surface. A flash of magic burst through the air around her, settling in her eyes, allowing her to see the events as they transpired. Setsuna looked at Ranma as Mako settled into a small trance. "She's going to be either very sad, or very angry once she comes out from the vision, Ranma. I assume I need not tell you to help her."

"Of course not," Ranma replied, his gaze deadly serious. "That reminds me, I let myself become unfocused for a bit helping her, I need to go back and eradicate that place. I need the Sailors to help, there were too many women in there, and too many guards. I can take care of one or the other, but I can't get all of it in a decent time frame."

"I'll let Mercury know to come talk to you. She's the brains behind their operations, after all." Setsuna smiled lightly, causing a chuckle from Ranma.

"She's the brains behind anything that touches her near as I can tell, she's far smarter than anyone else I know." Ranma said, turning quickly as a sob suddenly escaped from Makoto.

"How could they do such a thing?" her face dropped to her hands. Ranma wrapped his arms around her, his eyes hardening as Mako screamed forlornly. Setsuna's expression shifted for a moment, sadness showing at the edges of her crimson eyes.

"I'll get ahold of the other scouts for you, Ranma. When do you think you'd like to go back?" Setsuna said quietly, reaching down and placing a hand on Mako's shoulder, smiling and wrapping a warm hug around the young mother-to-be's shoulders for a moment as she looked up.

"Tonite, if possible, if not tomorrow. Daytime or nighttime, it doesn't matter, I want that place gone," Ranma's voice was calm and soft, a sure indication to his temper.

"Very well, make it tomorrow, that will give them time to prepare. The Inners should suffice for this task I think." Setsuna said, turning and opening a portal in front of her. It immediately snapped shut as she walked through. A small sniffle from Mako brought Ranma's attention back to the present.

"Wanna tell me 'bout it? Or not right now?" Ranma asked as Makoto leaned against him.

"May as well tell you now and get it over with, I'll end up telling you sooner or later anyway."

* * *

><p>"You're sure this is the place, Ranma?" Mars asked as they leapt down from the trees surrounding the installation.<p>

"Yeah, this is definitely it. There's no guards now though. Why?" Ranma asked, her soprano voice carrying lightly through the night air. The sound of the other three Inner Scouts hitting the ground behind them carried for what seemed to be miles in the darkness. Ranma held up her hand, quickly summoning up a small ball of gold and red ki to light the area around them. "This makes no sense. Just a couple weeks ago this place was armed to the teeth. I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near this close without being invisible. It looks like it's been abandoned now."

"I say we stay cautious and move inside. It may be a trap," Mercury commented, pulling up her visor and quickly scanning the area. "Any traps that happen to be in there aren't going to be human or human-made either. There's no signs of power of any sort, and no life signatures. It's several stories down, but nothing showing up on any of them."

Ranma cautiously made her way to the closest door, the Senshi following closely behind her. The short redhead darted from corner to corner, all her senses extended as much as she could push them. Eventually she relaxed, walking down the middle of corridors that showed signs of being quickly but efficiently abandoned. The four Senshi checked in rooms for any signs of life, only to return to the corridor empty-handed.

"It's completely abandoned," Ranma muttered, her brain already trying to figure out the strategic implications. Mercury tapped her on the shoulder.

"I think your previous intrusion may have caused a greater impact than you first thought. Look at this." the Mercury Computer was held out, an article pulled up showing where a number of girls had mysteriously showed back up at their homes several nights before. Ranma blew out a sigh of relief, knowing that the girls at least were safe.

"Alright, that tells me what happened to the girls. The question now is why did they take them back? Surely just me managing to get in and get one of them out wasn't enough to make them change their ways." Ranma eventually sidelined that train of thought, looking around. She snarled as she looked up at a sign over the door she was in front of. The Senshi looked up, just catching a glimpse of the sign before it was blasted into several pieces by the suddenly enraged martial artist. Mercury reached down to pick up a large piece at her feet. A portion of Makoto's name was still visible through the scorch marks from the ki blast.

"They knew who these girls were before they even brought them here. You're right, this one was much worse than the cultists. I'm guessing they were using the cult as a cover for this operation, whatever the intentions were." She blinked as the air temperature dropped around them, glancing towards where Ranma was descending a stairway, lighting the area around her now with her aura. The occasional arc of electricity sparked to life around her, jumping to the nearest piece of metal. A continual growl seemed to emanate from her as the Senshi followed, even Moon managing to keep quiet as they crept along.

"This hellish hole caused so many people so much pain. Girls who had done nothing wrong other than being themselves, chosen for who knows what reason." Ranma's voice rose as she spoke, descending the stairways to the lowest floor. The sudden impact of Ranma's fist cratered the metal door, knocking it loose from all it's hinges. The steel floors resounded as the door was thrown aside, Ranma's living light illuminating the room beyond. Desks were knocked askew, the remains of gutted computers thrown around haphazardly. Mercury stopped, her computer scanning everything around them. As Mercury set about her task, the other girls followed Ranma around as she went to each corner of the room, setting a ball of ki just larger than her fists in each quarter of the room. The room was fully lit by the time she was done, easily rivaling the building's own lighting systems had it been powered.

"Everything I could've used to track them down is gone. They only left behind hardware that wouldn't leave anything to trace." The visor disappeared as Mercury put the computer back in it's pocket in storage-space. "It's safe to assume if they cleared out this lowest floor this well, the ones above were taken care of as well. We're essentially chasing a dead end here."

"Good. Then we're done." Ranma quickly turned and walked back out, forming more balls of reddish gold ki and leaving them floating as a trail of lights for the Senshi to follow. They filed outside, stopping as Ranma turned and stared at the building. A light sheen of sweat stood out on her forehead.

"Why did you leave those little lights in there, Ranma? We were able to see just fine from the light you were putting off." Moon's eyes widened suddenly as her question was answered, the building exploding behind her in a chain reaction of detonations. The rumble began far underground, and within seconds had gone through the entire facility. Moon panicked, scrambling away from the chaotic destruction and taking shelter behind Ranma. The building quickly collapsed, most of it falling inward to fill the pit it had been dug into, corners tumbling outward. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief as it all settled.

"There, now that place won't ever be bothering anyone again."

"So, did you ever think of taking up work as a demolitions expert?" Mars quipped, causing a giggle from the rest of the girls as Ranma smirked.

"No thanks, takes too much concentration to keep all of that ki from exploding. The one I set in the basement that was specifically unstable, that one was REALLY hard to keep under control while maintaining all the others." Ranma giggled to herself as the rest of the girls around her sweated.

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed by peacefully, full of nothing more exciting than Ranma's day-to-day training with his recently acquired weapon as much as his new electrical ki, much to the surprise of the TendoSaotome household. An odd youma here and there had almost caused problems, but the Senshi had been able to get to them faster than Ranma could. It seemed the attacks were further away from the Tendo home now. The sun was shining brightly once again as Ranma and Mako enjoyed another lazy Wednesday afternoon at the park. Their time moving through the grounds was slower now as Mako's time drew closer, the swollen ball of her belly much more prominent now as well. As they sat down at one of the benches, Ranma put a protective arm behind her, rubbing at the muscles of her lower back that he knew were screaming. Other people passsed them by, occasionally waving in recognition, having passed the couple many times over the previous few weeks.

"Thank you," Mako nearly purred, leaning over against him as his fingers worked the small knots back out. She stretched and planted a kiss on the side of his face, smiling widely. "It's getting harder to make it through the park now, isn't it? I'm glad you're still willing to come with me. A few more weeks and I won't have time to do this anymore."

"That'll make two of us. Besides, I got nothing I can think of that I'd rather be doing," Ranma replied, smirking as she playfully punched him in the ribs. He reached over and ran a hand gently in circles on her belly, causing a pleasurable sigh to escape from her lips. "Should quit hitting me, you're teachin our kid bad manners."

"Oh, shush, like you'd want him or her to be anything other than a martial artist anyway," she replied, wrapping her arms around his chest.

"Well, I won't say I'd mind if the kid wanted to follow in my footsteps, but if they were to find a different dream, I don't think I'd feel too hurt. Just please let them get your brain instead of mine. Or hell, maybe Ami will rub off on the kid," Ranma grinned, pulling Mako's face up to plant a soft kiss on her lips. As he sat back, his trouble sense went off like an alarm in the back of his skull, quickly pulling him to his feet. Mako grimaced as she felt the energy of portals begin to intrude on her own sixth sense. Ranma began working up a gold ball of energy in one hand as Makoto pushed herself up from the bench. "We're in trouble, Mako."

"Tell me about it. I don't remember last time I felt this many youma in one place." Her eyes watched as the portals began to open, numerous ones within sight of her and Ranma, and she could feel the energy as more opened beyond them. Ranma's arm snapped up, the ball of energy in his hand flying high into the sky before detonating, turning the sky a blinding golden color for several moments. She looked around, spotting the civilians all standing rooted in place in shock. "Get out of here, NOW!" She shouted, her voice snapping through several people's fear and moving their feet. The ones who weren't moving at her shout were quickly moved as she roughly shoved them away.

"Half a dozen just right here? I can feel more portals opening, but I can't sense the youma themselves, what the hell? Are these things even actually youma?" Ranma muttered under his breath. Another golden ball of energy left his hand, snapping upwards to detonate a few seconds after the first. He blurred forward, a roundhouse kick to the chest sending the closest youma flying into a nearby tree. A quick twist put him under the claws of another one, giving him time to knock it's feet from under it. An instant of concentration gave the creature just enough time to blink before Ranma shoved a cold spike of ki through it's chest. Energy building in the area caught his attention, forcing him to look around, finding several more of them gathering dark balls of something that felt very different from his own ki. He turned and blurred again, dashing to Makoto, pulling her into his arms and leaping over where new portals were opening. Her startled scream quickly stopped as she clutched her arms around him, her frustration showing thoroughly on her face. The area they had just vacated exploded as the youma launched their attacks, a cloud of scorched earth and grass left in the wake. Ranma frowned as he noticed inert human bodies near where the attacks had hit.

"_Damnit! I should be able to help, I'm just a liability like this._" Even as Mako's mental tirade began, Ranma landed, setting her down near a walled in corner at the bottom of a hill in the park. The entire force of creatures turned, shambling towards the couple's new location.

"Well, they're definitely tracking us, and this looks like about the best spot I can find around here to defend from without endangering more innocent people," As Mako watched, Ranma created several more balls of energy, launching them in rapid succession into the sky. He grit his teeth and began to gather his aura, the air around him and Mako quickly beginning to chill and churn, Ranma's tail whipping around in the currents. "Hopefully the girls will get the message that they need to hurry."

"And if they don't?" Mako asked quietly. Ranma turned toward her and knelt down, gathering her in his arms gently. He left a lingering kiss on her lips before standing back up, turning around to face the assembled force coming at them.

"Then I'm gonna make these bastards regret the day they ever set their eyes on us," Ranma replied quietly over his shoulder. Mako watched as his hand moved from the small of his back out to the side, the handle of the sword Nodoka had given him appearing in his hand, the rest of the blade appearing as he drew it further out of the fold in his ki that created the Hidden Weapons space. The blue line on the back of the blade glowed with an intensity to match that of the ki floating in his eyes, even as electric began dancing to life along the cutting edge.

"But, Ran-" Mako protested, knowing how much Ranma disliked using the weapon.

"No buts this time, Mako. These things aren't here to play, they don't want to test my strength. I can't feel them, but I can feel their malice in the air around us. Hell, even their form is different from normal." Ranma's voice was quiet and even, a direct counterpoint to the now violently arcing force being channeled through the blade in his hand. The youma facing him were all solid white. A humanoid build, but some had long arms ending in massive sets of claws, while others were twice Ranma's height and built like muscled tanks. Their faces were non-existent, a flat plane where the face should have been, broken only by a set of four slit-like eyes. A single youma dashed forward, dragging it's claws along the ground until it neared, raising them for what it thought would be a single killing strike. The bottom of the face suddenly spit, revealing a mouth full of human-like teeth as it let forth a clearly inhuman roar. Ranma tensed for a moment before seeming to disappear, the after-image blurring through and past the youma, catching up to Ranma as he stopped behind it. He flipped the blade with his wrist, clearing the majority of the thick blood off of it, grimacing as the youma itself slowly slid apart. The top half of the creature hit the ground, the impact acting as an unknown signal to the rest of the small army around them. The simultaneous roars created a chorus worthy of Hell as they descended on Ranma.

* * *

><p>Usagi paled as all of the kids in the playroom simultaneously went quiet. She felt the building tremble in the wake of an explosion, turning just in time to see the sky explode into golden brilliance over the park.<p>

"I'm sorry, Anna!" She yelled as she burst through the front of the building, slipping around a corner in the hall only to use the momentum to twist herself around the furniture in the lobby, nearly pulling the door off of it's hinges in her haste. Her blue eyes looked up in time to see the next detonation in mid-air. She ducked into a near-by alley, calling forth her powers quickly. Looking around, she jumped up a few balconies, gaining the roof of the nearby buildings easily where she took off at a sprint. "_Please don't let me be too late!_"

* * *

><p>Rei sat next to her grandfather on the front steps of the shrine, sharing a pot of tea between the two of them. Rei froze as her sixth sense went off, drawing her sight to the skyline an instant before Ranma's first explosion turned the sky golden. She glanced at her grandfather, who appeared to have not noticed it, until she set her teacup down gently.<p>

"Moving a bit slow, considering the danger, aren't we?" Her grandfather said in a low voice, smiling as Rei's eyes widened. He took another sip of his tea before setting his cup down. Rei stood frozen, unsure of what message she was supposed to get exactly. The second explosion went off as her grandfather looked up at her, arching an eyebrow. "Move Mars, there's time for answers later!" He snapped at her suddenly, breaking her out of her stupor, her crystal rod appearing instantly in her hands as the smaller explosions rocked the air. Her tranformation triggered, she took off, flames licking at her heels as she pushed at the limits of her speed.

* * *

><p>Kasumi gasped, dropping the assorted files in her hands as Tofu felt the ki from the explosions across the city. Ami's face turned as white as the clinic's walls as the energy reached her own senses. Tofu glanced at Kasumi, tears already falling from her eyes as she sensed the spikes in the energy. Mercury stood where before Ami had been, her transformation completed and her form disappearing out the door before Kasumi could say a word.<p>

"Come on, love, we're gonna have to be ready. I haven't felt Ranma throw his power around like that in a _long_ time. If he's having to cut loose that much, there's going to be injuries, no matter how hard he tries," Tofu's calm demeanor gave Kasumi a focus to center herself on, even as she felt the building rock from the smaller detonations.

* * *

><p>Minako's balance toppled from her perch on the box as her entire being felt the force behind the explosions, in spite of the building she was in being unmoved.<p>

"Aino-san, I realize that you're not the most graceful model we've ever had, but it's a box for goodness' sake. Please try to stay on it." A man behind a camera bellowed as she hit hard on her rear, yelping in pain.

"Whatever, sorry, I know it's bad form, but I need to leave, _now_," Minako replied, leaving a shocked director standing as she rushed for the dressing room, sighing in relief as she found it deserted. She dropped the dress and flashed into her Sailor Senshi guise, a frown on her lips as she quickly pinballed her way through the building to the back door, taking off at a sprint towards the colored sky.

As the director reached the dressing room, he opened it to find no one. He scratched his head, blowing out his unwittingly held breath. "Alright, I know Tendo-san said this girl occasionally had some extenuating circumstances to deal with, but this is not what I had imagined. Hell of a looker, but geez."

* * *

><p>"The park!" Setsuna shouted as she suddenly snapped awake from a nap in the apartment with the other Outers, a hand to her forehead as she realized where she was. "Just another damned vivid nightmare," she commented to herself. As the three other women gathered at her door, she started to wave them off, color draining from all the women as they felt the building shake with the first explosion. Setsuna paled even more as the other Outers powered up, quickly moving to snatch her transformation pen from nothingness, seeming to instantly flow into her suit as she stood from her bed. Uranus opened one of the apartment windows as the next ki ball detonated, all four women quickly jumping through and plummeting to the nearest roof. As the smaller set of explosions went off, Setsuna gasped, suddenly willing the Time Key into existence. Her vision swimming with small images of the future, she stumbled for a moment, drawing the attention of the other three.<p>

"Get to the park, and get civilians away from it, FAR away! Get the other Scouts to help you!" She yelled, snapping open a portal in front of her and disappearing into it.

* * *

><p>Ranma's form was barely visible as he spun, constantly searching out new targets and watching for new attacks, each turn bringing him face to face with another set of claws or an energy blast. Youma fell around him in pairs or more, the human pinball moving amongst them, leaving only death in his wake. Even as he dropped them, more portals opened, a seemingly endless number of them pouring through. A straight up leap left him with room to breathe a moment, just long enough to gather energy for a huge Mouko Takabisha mixed with his new electric capacity. The ball impacted dead-center of the group he had just avoided, excess energy arcing from the impact point to fry those unlucky enough to be near. As he reached the ground he noticed some of the larger ones joining the fray, while others sat at the rear, gathering energy for some sort of attack. He glanced as one of them finally finished, throwing the ball of destructive energy in his direction. He dodged the first, seeing a second large youma throw another ball behind the first. This one seemed oddly off target. Whatever these things had, bad aim didn't seem to be one of them. Suddenly he realized where that blast was aimed for. "KAITEN!" The glowing wave of energy flew from his katana, impacting in the path of the deadly sphere, causing both to explode and dissipate.<p>

As he dodged back away from a now fresh pack of youma, Ranma grinned. Randomly stabbing at the few closest ones chasing him, he began to lead them in an all too familiar spiral pattern. They may have been emotionless as most people saw it, but any creature reacted to being hurt. A few moments later Ranma slammed his fist into the ground. "HIRYU SHOUTEN HA!" He smirked as the mindless beings were swept into the whirlwind before he launched another electrically charged Mouko Takabisha into the tornado, turning it into a small electrical storm. He had no time to celebrate the minor victory as more of the balls of black energy were being gathered around him. He looked to see none of them aimed at himself. Another Kaiten attack cut down the ones closest to him, but one had been just beyond the angle of the technique.

"MAKO!" Ranma screamed as he pushed every ounce of ki he had into blowing past the assorted youma blocking his path. The ground exploded in his wake as he rushed in front of her, the energy blast impacting on his left arm, diverting the ensuing blast away from her. As the dust settled, Mako could only tremble at the sight that greeted her. Flayed, singed skin shown and blood trickled down the side of Ranma's now limp left arm, even as he worked to coat the worst sections in ice. Tears spilled over in her eyes as she realized just how much damage had been done.

"_Where are the girls? They need to get here!_" she thought desperately. "_Ranma can't handle this many while protecting me!_"

* * *

><p>Moon screamed as she saw pieces of the park exploding in the distance. She glanced around at the people standing on the sides of the street, all faces towards the park, frozen in shock. Except for the small stream of them running away from it. A beep caught her attention, her hands automatically calling forth her communicator. The short-haired blonde face of Uranus showed up quickly. "The park! We have to get there!" She shouted before Uranus could even say anything.<p>

"We have no time, Moon. Pluto just disappeared, gave us orders to clear out civilians as fast as we can. All of us." Uranus' face was angrily set, showing her own disapproval.

"But we need to get there! Ranma!" Moon argued quickly, looking around and seeing the still shock-stopped populace.

"I'm trusting Pluto's instincts on this. It's not very often she hands out an order for _all_ of us." Uranus' face suddenly switched with that of Mars.

"She's right, Moon. I don't know what's going on, but it's like no one has the ability to move away from the fight till you snap them out of it. Some are even moving towards it. Once you get them moving they seem to get the idea and run. It breaks the spell or compulsion, whatever it is, but if we leave them alone, we may have far more casualties on our hands than we can handle ." The raven-haired senshi disappeared from view. It appeared the time for talking was past. Moon looked around, tears flowing as the choice between her friends and the local population was once more thrust in front of her.

"Damn you, whoever you are causing this!" she ground out before running around the street, shoving people bodily in the opposite direction. At least Mars was right, they continued to run once they were moved. Thank goodness for small miracles.

* * *

><p>Ranma grunted, forcing his trademark smirk to his lips. He frowned as he looked down at his useless left arm. It would heal, but even pushing his ki into it wasn't gonna make this one better any time soon. The leg on that side was bruised and battered, but nothing like the arm at least. His grip tightened on the katana, knowing that now it was his only true advantage. His eyes watched the pack of monsters as they began to circle. He dashed in, realizing in order to keep them away from Mako, he needed to remain the larger threat to them. Animalistic mentalities had their uses after all. As he blurred in he cut deep into the side of a youma, satisfied to hear it hit the ground behind him as he turned to block a set of claws, feeling them hiss off the razor sharp edge of the katana. He kicked out, forcing the creature away while he recovered, flipping the blade around behind his back. Another spin brought the blade through the midsection of another unfortunate target. Several more took it's place in the circle slowly encasing Ranma.<p>

Mako could only scream as she watched Ranma struggle to escape the mob of youma surrounding him, panic replacing her usual faith in Ranma as she felt more portals open. Pieces of the smaller creatures would fly out, but more would take their place. Larger youma stood a ways back from the pack, building energy into a black ball bigger than Ranma or herself. Time seemed to slow and stretch as she watched the projectile move towards the mass of fighting bodies. The explosion rocked the pack, sending debris and dust into the air, obscuring her vision such that she was barely able to avoid Ranma as he flew back out of the cloud, slamming hard into the wall behind her.

"Ranma!" she shouted just before another ball of the same dark energy came flying straight through the cloud of debris, aimed directly for her. Then all Mako saw was white as the world around around her exploded into nothingness.

* * *

><p>Apologies to my readers who've been desperately waiting for the next chapter. I realize it's been forever. Just could NOT get this chapter to work itself out to my satisfaction. _;; Writer's block MAY have had a bit to do with that at some point too. _;;; Read, review, but most of all, I hope you enjoy.<p> 


	8. Storm Central

Ch.08

**Storm Central**

Ranma groaned as he regained consciousness, a small grin appearing after a moment as he realized he still held onto his katana even through that beating. Mom would be proud of that at least. He used his one good arm to push himself up off the floor. A warm floor that seemed to be made out of solid metal. Metal was usually cold. Senses suddenly on high alert, Ranma sprang to his feet, readying the blade quickly. Nothing seemed to move, and there seemed to be no sound other than himself. A myriad of colors swirled in the area around him, a small distortion seeming to indicate where the floor and walls met.

"This...isn't anywhere I recognize," he said aloud, thoroughly confused as he started to relax just a little.

"I should...hope not...I change...how it looks...every few years...gets boring," he heard from behind him, turning quickly to find Setsuna seated on the floor next to an intricate set of gates. The Time Gates, Ranma realized as he took in the scope of them. Columns that looked to be made of some sort of irridescent marble towered above him, arching inwards to meet at the top. He tore his eyes back down towards Pluto, taking further note of her condition. Her Senshi suit was frayed and singed, though the damage seemed to be all on one side. She was breathing heavily, and shook constantly.

"Setsuna?" Ranma's brain tried to ask several questions at once, his mouth getting none out as he attempted to find a starting point.

"Don't...bother asking...I'll...show you," she touched the surface of the Gates, causing a ripple through them as they focused in on the park, moments before the explosion.

"To hell with that, are you okay?" Ranma snapped irritably, focused on the Senshi of Time's less than stellar condition.

"I'll...be alright...with a little...time," Setsuna ground out between each breath, her face relaxed even as her body shook constantly. "I...overdid it...a little bit...getting you out...before her explosion..."

"Her explosion? You don't mean?" Ranma's face turned stern as he watched the gates, wincing as he watched himself impact with the wall, a second energy ball following him through the cloud of debris where Mako stepped in front of it. As he watched, the Gates slowed down everything, giving Ranma time to notice as a shield of lightning surrounded Makoto. The blast dissipated on the shield just as a green-haired blur phased into existence, grabbing his inert body, and disappearing an instant before the shield around Makoto exploded, destroying everything surrounding her. "Can I get back to her?"

"Already...thought of that...that doorway...over there...will bring you back out...during her explosion." Setsuna raised a shaky hand, pointing behind Ranma. He turned to walk towards the portal, light shining around him as he stopped and turned to look at her.

"You're sure you'll be alright?" His determination softened a moment as he watched her sit, shaking all over. He knew that after-shock feeling of total exhaustion all too well.

"I'll be fine. A little wore out, but otherwise fine. It's just a bit taxing to use all your energy reserves and your magic at the same time." She smiled as he turned back around and disappeared into the wall of light, chuckling for a moment as she glanced off into nowhere. "I see it...now Serenity. You...and your damned visions. Damn you...being right so often." She pulled herself up a little straighter, her breathing still labored. She reached up under the bow of her Senshi suit, pulling a small crystal ball out, staring at it in her hand as an image of Queen Serenity appeared and began to speak.

"_Fear for the lightning, and rightfully so,  
><em>_Fear for her protector, soul pure as snow,  
><em>_Fear for innocence, lives lost in the storm,  
><em>_Pray for protection, for her children to be born,  
><em>_Pray for her knight, to her side his love sworn,  
><em>_Pray for the enemy, their hopes all but gone."__  
><em>

Setsuna smirked once more as the ball dimmed. "Alright...Serenity...sama...what else...were you trying...to tell me?"

* * *

><p>Ranma looked down from the building top as he exited the gate, watching as the field of destruction spread out from where he had been moments before. Though the explosion was nearly instantaneous, he could still see as it moved out in waves, time still slipping just enough around him to push his normal vision into the range of speed needed to watch as each wave of lightning shattered the ground beneath it, before being surrounded by the next wall of electric force incarnate. The ground was left scorched and bare as the sudden burst of power cleared the area around the Princess of Jupiter. The park was ruined. Several of the buildings that had been near the park's boundaries tumbled to pieces as sections of them were blown off. Ranma looked to the center of the destruction, finding Makoto floating just above the ground. One hand rested on the swell of her heavily pregnant stomach with the other hanging limply at her side, the look on her face clear of any thought as if her mind were not quite with the rest of her. Her green dress hugged her form tightly, the side-slit skirt fluttering in the light breeze. Her usual hair baubles had been replaced by a pair of pink roses, matched with another rose at each side of her hips. Suddenly her gaze snapped up and forward to where still more youma were being ported in. Though her face appeared angered, her eyes still seemed empty for a moment, like portholes to a small void. They sparked to life with the power that had lain dormant in her soul, the outlet for months of fury finally acquired.<p>

"You attack me in a weakened condition! You bring an army to defeat a mere two! You endanger innocent lives with every attack, and you target those who are defenseless!" A snap of her fingers at the end of each statement made a smaller youma to explode in a burst of wild electricity that arced to any other youma unfortunate enough to be standing too close. The air around her crackled to life, shocking anything that moved close enough. "Whoever you are, all of the creatures you've sent to kill me this day are forfeit."

A wave of her hand caused a line of the ground to explode with lightning strikes from the air above, decimating a dozen smaller youma and several more of the large ones with them. Several of the larger youma stood in the back and began to gather energy for their ranged attack. They were destroyed as the Princess snapped her fingers several times, each snap causing an explosion centered in the masses of energy as they were gathered. The backlash as the attacks collapsed was violent and sudden, tearing into the youma forming them.

"You will regret the day you raised your hands against the Princess of Jupiter! And you will regret ever threatening any child of mine!" Another wave of her hand and more lightning decimated the ranks of the attackers. Still more kept pouring in, filling the space left by the ones obliterated. Ranma dove from the roof he was on, leaving a small crater where he landed, reinforcing his limbs with his ki as he dashed forward. He knew with the way these youma were pouring in, even a fully powered senshi was going to have trouble eventually. With a ferocity he had only felt a few times before in his exciting life, he tore into the rear ranks of the creatures. The momentary breather had given him back his energy, allowing him to assail the small army with all the strength he could throw into his one good arm. Several youma turned to strike at him from behind, only to be struck down by explosions of electricity. Ranma continued to tear a path through them, magic destroying any that he didn't get to himself, entire lines of them dropping from his path as he got closer to the center of the mass. Lightning arced off of the explosions into his sword, giving him more energy which he twisted around to throw at new targets.

"_KAITEN!_" Ranma shouted out as he spun, causing a wide beam of energy to flow out parallel to the ground. He frowned, knowing his mother would hate to hear he had used the technique improperly. Lacking the use of one arm required some improvising though, so hopefully she'd only lecture him a little. Perhaps she'd ignore the improper use and only scold him about putting the electricity into the attack instead of pure ki like he'd been taught. A cacophony of explosions greeted his ears as the technique slid through several ranks of youma before dissipating. Several more rows of them died as he made his way to the clearing around the Princess. He stopped in front of her, gazing up at her as the electric arced around him and danced across his skin. Her face softened as she floated down to the ground, stepping lightly towards him. Ranma found himself entranced as he looked into her eyes, forgetting in that moment about the youma surrounding them.

"My knight," she said almost reverently, as she reached forward with one hand, a small crackling glow emanating from his skin as her hand passed over it. He grunted as muscles and skin shifted to flow back into their correct positions, healing in a moment's breadth. His clothing shifted, becoming light silver plate armor over a sleeveless green shirt not unlike his normal mode of dress. His arms were covered with a flash of lightning, leaving behind more of the same light armor, extending up to his elbows. He felt the armor seal down against his shins and thighs, covering him tightly, but leaving him with full range of movement. He could even feel the magic weave silver and green strands into the ponytail at the back of his head. An empty scabbard idly rested at the back of his belt. The jewel on his katana slowly shifted from blue to red, unnoticed as Ranma felt the transformation take over. A smile appeared on the Princess' face. "Truly..._my_ knight."

"At your side, my Lady." He turned, smirking widely as he felt a different force entirely running through his limbs. He set himself a moment, dashing forward and leaving a trail of strikes in the wake of his after-image. The ground exploded as he dug his feet in to stop himself, the youma collapsing behind him as he stopped. A short jump brought him back next to his Princess, leveling the katana behind him and slipping it into the scabbard. "Heh, doubt I even honestly need this anymore."

"Overconfidence has been the death of many great fighters," the Senshi of Storms intoned, waving her hand and obliterating another row of youma as they tried to push forward to the two targets. Ranma beside her began throwing out his ki attacks with little to no regard to the energy reserves he usually held in check. Holes were burnt through multiple youma as the small balls of energy each hit their target. Tired of testing the new depths of his ki levels, Ranma dashed in, blowing past the clumsily swung claws of one monster to kick it's closest friend into another pack. More lightning reduced the pile of monsters to ash as Ranma turned, walking a set of snap side kicks up the body of the one he had avoided before. Each kick caused a resounding crack as the form of the creature crumpled under the force, leaving behind a battered mess of what had once been a beast. Ranma began leveraging his power up a little bit at a time, unsure of what limitations he truly had in this new form. Each attack against a new enemy left them reeling, if not broken. Their battered forms were given no chance to collapse, reduced to a pile of dust by the magic of the Princess of Jupiter, her face an immovable mask of quiet fury. Her knight finally threw his all into one punch, a sonic boom echoing from the contact as his target rocketed backwards, exploding into a burst of wild electricity in mid-air.

"ENOUGH!" The sudden shout caused Ranma to execute a quick and cautious leap back to land next to Jupiter. A dark cloud appeared in the air several meters from them as portals opened and swallowed the monsters that were still left standing. "It appears I was wrong about what extent of power you truly had. A grievous error on my part, but mark my words, I won't make that mistake again."

"I don't know who you are, and I don't know what your problem is, but I'm about sick of your bullshit." Ranma exclaimed, a mass of mixed ki and magic appearing between his hands. "You got a problem with me? That's fine. But our child has done NOTHING to you!" The mass of energy suddenly sped forward from his hands, impacting the center of the dark force. He grinned as it dissipated, the grin fading as the cloud coalesced once again.

"The problem isn't what your child has done, it is what your child represents," Ranma snorted in disgust, unsheathing the katana and throwing another Kaiten at the formless entity before putting the sword away again. The energy beam slid harmlessly through the darkened space. A light chuckle seemed to echo through the air as the cloud changed into a more humanoid form, though it still lacked any true features. "You won't live long enough to see what your future holds."

"Ya know, I don't think I even care anymore. I was curious before about your reasons, but not now. You've endangered people who had nothing to do with this. You're attempting to take the life of an unborn child based on hell only knows what criteria." The cold air whipping around Ranma grew stronger as he spoke, his hands clenched tightly into fists. "You can't defeat me, so I suggest you rethink this while you still have a chance."

"My master desires the death of this dimension. Your presence alongside Jupiter and the child robs her of that opportunity in the future. Nothing more, nothing less. You can call me Voidling." The mass coalesced more into a woman with dark skin, hair a deeper black than a moonless midnight, and colorless eyes that shone with an eerie light. Her slight build was wrapped in a tight suit of white cloth, rustling as she moved to the ground. A hungry smile appeared on her slender face, the look of a predator about to strike. 'Now then, you've destroyed every youma I've sent at you, and even decimated the majority of my hybrid creatures. Which, I might add, were a pain to acquire. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the DNA samples you need from something that won't exist for nearly another decade? Not to mention having to combine them with samples from several different time streams."

"I don't think you'll need to worry about that anymore." Voidling snapped around at the sound of a new voice, just as a beam of red energy lanced into her. Pluto stood proudly as the Time Key pulled a mass of temporal energy from the woman in front of her, in spite of the rough condition of her suit. "I don't know how or where you gained the ability to slip past me in the time stream, but rest assured, you won't be doing it again. Not that you were very good anything but clouding the time stream anyway."

"As you take, so shall ye receive," Voidling raised her hands, three portals snapping open behind Pluto. The Senshi turned quickly, enhancing her reaction with her time magic, but was beaten to the punch as Ranma suddenly appeared in front of her. His hand reached back for the handle of the katana and snapped forward, lightning arcing as the blade passed through all three creatures. A chorus of lightning strikes from above, courtesy of Jupiter's Princess, reduced the severed creatures to piles of dust. He blurred out of Pluto's vision, the sounds of a sudden impact coming from behind her. She turned to find Voidling on the ground, the tip of Ranma's sword held at her throat. Electricity arced off the blade wildly, scorching patches in the dirt near the head of the woman under the sword's tip. Ranma's cobalt eyes glowed with an intensity to match that of the strange light in Voidling's.

"Enough games. You're obviously not a normal human, so you don't count as something that I won't kill. You can either tell us who your master is, or I end your existence right here and now."

"Kiss my ethereal ass," Voidling smiled as she retorted, disappearing suddenly, leaving behind an inky darkness that quickly evaporated. Ranma thrust the tip of the katana in the ground in frustration, growling at having let his opponent slip away.

"Don't worry, she's not going to be able to slip around us anymore," Pluto commented, a calm smile in place on her features once more. She held up the small ball of energy. "She's restricted to this time stream now."

"You're sure you took that power from her?" Ranma asked as he picked the katana back up and snapped the dirt off of it with a smooth flip of the wrist, before sheathing it once more.

"Yes. I find this magic to be strange though. It's very similar to my own. Almost as if they tore a piece of my own power out and then twisted it." She looked up to find that her audience was otherwise occupied as Ranma had moved to the Princess of Jupiter. The air around her still crackled with the uncontrolled elemental energy her current form wielded, her dress still fluttering in the light breeze that was caused by the magical storm.

"My knight," she breathed once again, a gentle smile on her face as one hand came up to cup the side of Ranma's face. The smile remained as all the electricity suddenly died around her, Ranma moving to hold her up as she lost consciousness.

"Is she okay?" he quickly asked, looking to Pluto, who shook her head gently in response.

"She should just be exhausted. Mercury will be here in a moment, with her computer. She can check her more thoroughly, but other than when the shield went up initially, I don't believe anything else actually made it to her." Pluto smiled to herself as she watched Ranma pick Jupiter up fully, cradling her in his arms as he turned to face Pluto.

"Good, in that case, let's get out of here. You can get through to the other scouts and let them know to meet us at the house, I assume?" Pluto nodded, pulling out her communicator as Ranma turned and leapt to the edge of the park, taking to the rooftops from there.

"Wonder if they'll be able to see who he is through the disguise field." Setsuna let out a tiny child-like squeal and did a small wiggling dance before she composed herself once more. "Ohhhh, this is gonna be fun to watch unfold."

* * *

><p>"Yeah, Doc, I'm fine, I can give you the details when ya get home. Yeah, Mako seems to be okay too, her ki looks a bit low, but other than that, I can't find anything wrong with her. No, Mom and Dad weren't supposed to be coming back for a few days. Alright, I'll see Kasumi in a few minutes then." Ranma sighed as he put the phone down. He turned and knelt down to check on Makoto, who was sound asleep on the couch. Her relaxed beauty entranced him for a moment till he shook himself free again, sighing as his mind came back to the problems at hand.<p>

"Care to talk about it?" Setsuna asked from the other side of the family room.

"Nothing much to really talk about. I shouldn't have let her get away. Not after all the trouble she's caused." Ranma clenched his fists several times, struggling to keep his frustrations from bursting into irrational rage as he stood back up.

"And how did you plan to hold onto thin air? You're good, I'll give you that, but I doubt you've figured out how to manage the impossible." Setsuna walked over and placed a friendly hand on Ranma's shoulder. "You just gained access to magic recently as well, so I doubt you're used to it well enough to use it as an excuse. So don't go trying to say you could've used it. You're lucky you've managed to learn to use it as well as you have, considering what you had before wasn't even near the full extent of it."

"I'm sure there was _something_ I could've done. It's just a matter of figuring out what it is. I'll keep thinking on it, but in the meantime I'm more worried about Mako." Ranma reached down, smoothing Mako's hair back gently.

"She'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

"I'm only slightly less worried about her, and more worried about the kid."

"Oh, I don't think you'll need to worry about that. Our magic, at least in theory, is supposed to protect them just as much as us unless we're close to death."

"In theory? That doesn't sound very certain." Ranma frowned deeply as the lack of a solid answer began to gnaw at his concern.

"I've only had one other opportunity to deal with a pregnant Senshi, and that was...well, short-lived, for lack of a better way to phrase it." Setsuna's usually steady gaze faltered, her hesitation catching Ranma's attention.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Setsuna blinked. She nodded slowly in response, earning her a hastily blown out breath from Ranma before he spoke again. "Damnit, hate when I'm right sometimes. But I'm pretty sure all the other Senshi died back in the Silver Millennium fighting, and none of them had kids either, so that really only left one option. My condolences."

"Thank you." Setsuna replied simply, still unsure how to feel that she was letting so much information slip out so easily. What _was_ it with this family? Even the least observant of them somehow figured things out with almost nothing to go on.

"Condolences aren't enough, I'm guessing, to really make up for that. Only one opportunity in all those years to have had a kid, and then had it ruined? I can only take a shot in the dark how much that must hurt." Ranma muttered ruefully after a moment of silence. "Listen to me, going on like I actually know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you don't need lessons in humanity from a martial artist."

"No, you're fine. It's...refreshing, somewhat."

"Well, door's almost always open to talk, if you need an ear. Mako I'm sure would welcome the company if nothing else. I know we said for the other girls to stop by more often, but they haven't been really. Just life in general keeping them tied down, I'd wager, but who really knows?" Ranma tilted his head for a moment before moving towards the front door. "Ahh, good, Kasumi's almost here. Funny enough, she beat the girls."

"How can you tell?" Setsuna asked as she followed him down the hall.

"Aura of the house. It shifts when Kasumi's near, sort of like how you can tell someone gets into the furo with your eyes closed, because you can feel the ripples in the water. A little more profound than that, but it's a good enough comparison." Ranma opened the door just in time for Kasumi to move past him, heading straight into the family room. As she walked in, she stopped.

"Okay, Setsuna-san, I recognize you, but who's on my couch and who's this man with you? I thought Ranma was supposed to be here with Makoto?" Kasumi's look of genuine confusion caused a light chuckle from Setsuna as Ranma facefaulted into the floor.

"It's them, Kasumi, you just may have to look a little harder to see it." Kasumi's look of confusion suddenly changed to one of anger, further adding to Ranma's own confusion as he'd rarely seen anything close to such an emotion from her. He sat back up as the eldest Tendo dropped into a defensive Tai Chi stance.

"I don't know how you're fooling Setsuna, but you're _not_ Ranma-kun. Your ki is completely off. I can sense enough of Makoto's to tell it's her, but you are not Ranma." Kasumi's stance changed from defense to offense as quickly as it had appeared before she launched forward and closed the distance between herself and Ranma.

"No, Kasumi, it's me, honest!" Ranma's brain went further into panic as he came under fire from one of the few people he thought he'd never cross fists with. He brought one arm up, easily shrugging off the impact as an almost dainty heel smashed downwards towards his head. He pushed aside the kick as gently as he could, forcing Kasumi into a spin that she switched into an elbow strike from the other side. Ranma blocked again as he stood up, shrugging off the impact once more, grunting in surprise as a spike of ki shot across his skin.

"I would've figured you for more of a ranged fighter with your level of ki control, Kasumi," Ranma commented calmly as he shook his arm to dissipate the residual pain. Easy enough to put up a layer of ki to defend against, but damn if it didn't hurt when you weren't expecting it. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Sis, 'cause I'm not gonna dodge and risk letting you ruin the house. You'd kill me after we're done if I did that."

"I'm going to kill you either way, imposter!" Ranma blinked as Kasumi began to bleed ki into the air around her, showing the battle aura Akane had been so infamous for. Ranma set himself as a flurry of attacks came in, still well below his speed levels, but the ki spikes with each impact were beginning to sting. He smirked as he watched Kasumi fall into the same pattern that he had once had to train Akane out of.

"Must be something that runs in the family, it's not even the same style, but it's still that one blasted pattern." he muttered as he stepped forward, pushing both of Kasumi's arms to the side. What had been intended to be a double-punch instead became a surprised motion of welcoming as Ranma wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I'm not fighting back, Ka-chan. This is not what I meant the other morning when I talked about trading notes. But if you really wanted to spar, you should have said something."

"Ranma?" Kasumi's question was answered as Ranma stepped back, her vision finally breaking through the disguise field's magic. "But, how, what?"

"There's time enough for explanation later, Kasumi, check Makoto, make sure her and the kid are alright."

"They're fine, I can tell standing here, there's not even so much as a hiccup in her aura. Except that little ball of bright green that you and Tofu have described seeing in her is definitely not so little right now. But you, what happened to you? Your ki is so different, I can tell now, I couldn't even feel the similarities through whatever was blocking it before." Kasumi's anxiousness got the better of her as Ranma blinked, his brain kicking in and reminding him that he _had_ changed.

"I...well, honestly, I don't know exactly. I know it messes with my head a little bit. Made me think all formal and crap till I managed to shove it aside." Ranma fiddled with his ponytail nervously. He frowned as his fingers brushed across the green and silver ribbons.

"It's a special form granted only to those who're intimately connected to one of the Senshi. A 'Knight', as it were, to the Senshi's Princess. Sailor Moon can tell you about Tuxedo-Mask's Prince Endymion form. It's a similar form to that, except in your case, it's your only transformation. Unless Serenity hid the truth from me on that one too." Pluto's revelation was just in time for the Senshi to catch as they landed on the back porch.

"She's right," Moon smiled as she walked in. She quickly began circling Ranma, who suddenly felt very self-conscious. "It _is_ a lot like Mamo-chan's Prince form. No shoulders, but the armored pieces are really a lot like it, and the outfit is different, of course, 'cause it wouldn't do for you to be wearing a tux. Not your style at all, nope. I like the ribbons in the tail though, they're cute."

"You worry me at times, Moon." Ranma managed to stammer out finally as Moon made her way over to Makoto. "Speaking of which, where _is_ your boyfriend?"

"He's been on a trip overseas this whole time. School made him do it for one of his teaching courses, but he should be home any time now. They wouldn't give him an exact time for his flight back, made him a bit angry. Something about the government over there being really paranoid." She reached down, placing a hand against Makoto's forehead. A glow seemed to emanate from her palm as she closed her eyes. She sighed as she pulled her hand back, quietly speaking almost to herself as her expression became saddened. "Still so much anger. What will it take to break you of that, Mako-chan?"

"What're you talkin about?" Ranma asked from behind her, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the blonde.

"Mako. She's always been so angry. It's a different anger from what most people would think, though. I can't even sense it at all unless I'm in my Senshi form. It's buried so deep inside of her. A hatred of all the injustice in the world. And alongside it now is a fear that wasn't there before. A fear of her own vulnerability. A fear of not being able to protect what she needs to protect."

"You're not just picking up on her aura, are you?" Ranma asked, already more interested in the how behind her actions than the why.

"No, at least I don't think so. I can just tell what people are feeling deeper down. It's something that Chibi-Usa mentioned my future self could do, so I started trying to work on it a little bit at a time. I'm still not very good with it, but it's easier to read the girls than anyone else." Moon crossed her arms before allowing her powers to dissipate, the bright glow illuminating the Tendo living room as her outfit shifted back to her normal clothes. She let out a depressed sigh as the rest of the Senshi powered down behind her, save for Pluto. "I was honestly hoping that being with you would take away a good bit of that anger, but I guess the breeding ground would've just made that even worse. How the heck am I supposed to fix the world if I can't even help fix the problems my friends have?"

"No one person can fix every problem. Not on their own. Not even you. So don't even try to. Some people refuse to be fixed. Some people just have to fix it themselves. And then there's some people that can only be fixed by a certain someone else." Ranma grinned as Kasumi smiled at him and nodded. "Won't do you any good to beat yourself up over it. Besides, I'd say that's a legitimate reason for someone to be mad. And I'll work on making sure nothing like this ever happens again. So don't worry yourself over it."

"I suppose you're right. Now what happened exactly? I don't recall ever feeling you throw that much force into one of those signals, every kid in the daycare went silent. And then setting off a whole pack of them, I didn't even know you could throw those things that fast. "

"Mako and I were out for one of our afternoon walks at the park. Had just sat down at the bench and then youma started porting in all over the place. Weird ones too, four eyes, real strange mouths, didn't actually speak. I couldn't sense them, and they sounded like something from a horror movie. Same claws we've been dealing with on the ones lately, though." Ranma sat down heavily in front of the couch, leaning back against it. "I've never seen so many of them in one place. Dozens of them, and they just wouldn't stop. Every one of them I dropped just made space for two more. They finally managed to pin me down long enough to get an energy attack in, sent me flying, knocked me out. Pluto saved my ass from that."

"So that's where you disappeared to while we were on our way there." Michiru smiled as she looked at Setsuna who managed to look smug and sheepish at the same time.

"I didn't have much of a choice, it took me a good hour between time to recover, I had to push at the limit of what I'm allowed to do. I don't normally try to stretch my speed that far, I push at it enough and it starts tearing me apart instead. I managed to step in just before the attack that caused Makoto's transformation to trigger. As it is, I barely made it out in one piece." Setsuna waved her hand at the condition of her suit. A portion of her skirt was missing, patches burnt through her boots, and one glove was completely gone. She sighed and let her powers subside, leaving her in a loose blouse and skirt in colors matching her eyes. "I'm not certain, but that may be the closest I've ever managed to cut it without actually getting hurt."

"After I woke back up, Pluto sent me back through a doorway, brought me out on a roof near the park. I got to watch the explosion from where Mako's power burst loose. Cleared the entire park pretty much. After that she started decimating youma like it was nothing, but they were still pouring in. So I tore through the rear of them, carved a path with Mom's Kaiten technique, and finally made it to her. She healed my arm somehow, and when she did that, it put me in this armor. I don't know if it just gave me magic to tap into with my ki, or if I'm using magic instead of my ki, but the level of power is ridiculous, even compared to my normal range. It's a bit scary, and I'll have to find some way to see where it's limit is." Ranma's face went from tired to determined the more he spoke.

"I can help you with that. I can step us out of time a little bit, so there's no danger to anything." Setsuna offered as she sat down near the doorway of the kitchen, smiling her thanks as Kasumi handed her a cup of tea.

"That would be good, because I couldn't find it's limit with anything I was trying, and I was honestly a little scared to try any harder. Only time I think I might have pushed at it was moving around you to block those three youma she opened the portals for, and then going back around to put her on the ground."

"Her?" Ami asked, trying to figure out who they were talking about as she made mental notes.

"Right, sorry, got ahead of myself. After me and Mako started dropping entire lines of youma, their boss came out. Calls herself Voidling, apparently, and can turn into a black cloud. I managed to pin her down for a moment, but she turned into that cloud and disappeared before we could get too much useful info from her. She's working for someone else, and that one is working for someone else too. That's about all I can tell you. That and Pluto says she took away Voidling's ability to time travel. Apparently didn't keep her from being able to portal, though."

"She was using a twisted form of my own energy. What I'm not sure of is how she managed to come across it to begin with." Setsuna held up her hand, the small ball of black and red energy appearing in the air above her hand. "Check it yourself, Ami. I can only go by what I feel from it, your computer can hopefully tell us more."

"Just a moment," Ami said, her visor and computer appearing and immediately lighting up. "It's identical to your own temporal powers, but it's mixed with something else. It reminds me of the same negative energy we always sensed when fighting Beryl and Metalia, or Galaxia when she was possessed by Chaos. It's just a bit different though. Almost like it's the same stuff, but from a different source."

"So whatever empowered her, is being powered by the same things we've fought before. Nothing new really I guess, just confirmation that we're going to have to deal with it sooner or later." Setsuna pursed her lips in thought. "I'll have to check through the gates some more, see if I can figure out anything else Voidling may have clouded. And see if I can pin down how she came across a portion of my powers."

"I could care less who it is behind this. They come after Mako or our kid again, and I'll make sure they don't have the chance to regret it." Ranma ground out, electricity arcing wildly around one tightly closed fist.

"Wait, so the kid is yours? I thought you said before that it wasn't?" Ami asked, catching everyone else's attention.

"Yeah, about that, apparently I was wrong. It is mine, even though I was nowhere near it at the time." Ranma replied.

"Now how does-" Rei spoke up, quickly catching on to the apparently impossible statement.

"That work? Yeah, I asked the same thing, apparently whoever had captured the girls was working on something along the lines of cloning, but they were just cloning at the DNA level. Basically just cloned the DNA and then inseminated the mother with it." Ranma snorted in disgust. After what Makoto had told him about the process, he was particularly happy that he had no clue who was behind that entire fiasco. Because if he found that one, he would _definitely_ end up breaking his code. "We got lucky, if you can call it that, and they ended up using my DNA when they were impregnating Makoto."

"Well...that's better than it being some of the other people I can think of, or worse, one of their own people that had been there." Rei scowled as her mind ran through the options. Certainly this was a better situation than it could have been otherwise, but it was still fairly grim.

"Doesn't really matter, like I told Mako, far as I'm concerned, the kid's mine either way, if she's staying with me. Won't change how I feel about it." Setsuna moved forward and quickly whispered something in Ami's ear, causing her eyes to widen. Ranma missed the exchange, having turned his head to look at Mako. Ami recomposed her face just before Ranma turned back around, looking down at himself and sighing. "Alright. Now how do I get back out of this outfit? It didn't come with instructions, and I'm probably gonna need it to figure out how to turn it off and on before I need it again."

Ranma smiled as everyone else laughed. A few moments of conversation saw the other scouts going back out to help with the clean-up from the fight while Usagi and Ami stayed behind to help Ranma and Kasumi.

* * *

><p>Ranma stood back as Ami quickly scanned Makoto, smiling as her computer and visor disappeared. "Kasumi was right, of course. Nothing to worry about at all. She's just wore out is all. Using that much magic in as short a time as she did tends to wear on us a bit more than our normal Senshi powers do. And the kid's fine too. Sleeping soundly."<p>

"Thank you, Ami. I knew Kasumi was right, but I wanted to double-check." Ranma seemed much more carefree now that he had managed to transform back to normal with some small coaching from Usagi on how to think away the powers.

"Well, that's understandable. It's not exactly a normal situation, that much is certain. I'm guessing you're getting nervous yourself probably from how close her time is." Ami smile widened as she ran over the calendar in her mind. Any day now, she realized as she thought about it some more.

"Well, I'll admit it's not something I'm looking forward to, but I'm sure she is. If nothing else, her back won't be so sore. When it happens, the house is gonna be pure chaos." Ranma smiled gently.

"No, pure chaos is when we let you get into the chocolate ice cream." Kasumi remarked as she walked in from the kitchen, bending over and handing Ranma a cup of tea.

"Do you have to remind me? I promised I'd try not to do that anymore." Kasumi giggled as Ranma covered his face with his free hand. "Ugh, never gonna get to live that down, am I?"

"Nope!" Kasumi's angelic smile never left her face as she turned to leave. "Ami and I are going back to the clinic, we didn't get as many people as we were counting on, but I'm sure he'll need some help getting all the paperwork sorted."

"And I'll have to get back to the daycare. Anna knows why I have to run off, but I think she'll probably still wanna hurt me if I stay away any longer than I need to." Usagi made a 'bleh' face as she followed the other girls out the door.

The silence of the house surrounded Ranma allowing him to take a moment to find his center and calm himself. A few quiet steps found him on the back porch, looking up at the late afternoon sky.

"Guess I can't really afford to keep playing around now, can I, Akane?" A noisy sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them once more, his infamous smirk finding it's way to his face as he took a drink of his tea. "Well, I guess you did challenge me to keep living, didn't you, tomboy?"

* * *

><p>Ranma woke a few hours later, having taken a nap in front of the couch. He started to move, before realizing that Mako had shifted at some point to wrap her arms around his neck. He sighed in content resignation as he smiled.<p>

"Yeah, I think we're pretty stuck on each other. Ne, Miss Kino?" He spoke mostly to himself, leaning his head back against the cushions. "Here I am, a martial artist with a curse to turn into a girl at the drop of a bucket, with a lifetime of training and scars to deal with. A record of having horrible dealings with women, the ability to stick my foot in my mouth and still have room. And then you're a Sailor Senshi who's dealt with something that no woman should ever have to endure, on top of everything that already happened in your previous life. Perhaps Kami really does look out for those who suffer through hardship?"

"Or perhaps, there are some of us who are just more capable than others, because of what we've been through?" Mako's voice softly spoke beside his ear. He turned his head to look at her, finding that gentle smile that he had found himself so fond of. "We are who we are. We would not be who we are if not for what we've been through."

"Guess you're right. Maybe the two of us finding each other is Kami's way of apologizing for the crap that has been our lives?" Ranma closed his eyes as he spoke before setting his head back, blushing lightly as he realized that while it was soft, it was not the cushions behind his head anymore. Makoto wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"Does it really matter? We have each other now. And while the path to this hasn't been great, it did lead to this. What was it Kasumi told me the other day? The gentle days are a blessing, and a cushion against the more strange events."

"Yeah, sounds like something Ka-chan would say. She can be pretty deep with stuff like that. Far more than I can." Ranma opened his eyes and glanced over at Makoto as she made a disapproving and aggravated noise. Ranma blinked as she glared at him, panic taking over for a moment.

"You sell yourself far too short for someone who's supposed to be so damned confident. Every time I turn around you're sitting somewhere thinking. The only time I don't find you thinking is when you're training." Ranma's panic subsided as confusion instead took further hold.

"W-well, I'm not very good-" He tried to stammer out an argument.

"Don't even start to use that excuse. You figure people out in a glance, and figure them out better than most people do in months. That's not the actions of someone who isn't good at thinking." She wrapped her arms around him even tighter. After a moment Ranma finally relaxed.

"Heh...ya know, it's kinda funny. Akane and I had this conversation once before too. She said pretty much the same thing. Except she called me a lot more names in the process."

"Well, you did say you were somewhat of a baka back then." Ranma laughed and shook his head.

"Somewhat is putting it nicely." A groan from Makoto interrupted his thoughts. He turned to find her wrapping her with her hands on her belly. "You okay?"

"I think someone's hungry. Either that or telling me to quit laying around. I'm being used as a punching bag again," Mako's smile returned as she moved to push herself off the couch, stopping as Ranma held her down lightly.

"Well, you _did_ kinda just obliterate an army of youma. Or whatever those things were. I think a little food may be in order. You need your rest, and you're not cooking in that dress. So I'll take care of it." Ranma's off-hand comment stopped Mako in her tracks, looking down at herself.

"I...completely forgot I was even in this." Ranma's chuckle caused her to stick her tongue out at him. She ran her hands down the fabric of the dress for a moment before holding her hand up in front of her, looking at it concentration. A sigh escaped her lips as she dejectedly dropped her head back to the cushions. "Guess my powers left me the dress but nothing else that came with it."

"I think whoever created all your powers likes to play dress-up. It even extended to me." Makoto's rolled her eyes as Ranma's response came from the kitchen, pushing herself up and making her way into the kitchen. Ranma looked at her and sighed lightly. "You know the idea was for you to stay in there and rest."

"I'm fine, or at least I feel fine right now. And I wouldn't be surprised. From what I can remember and what Setsuna's said, Queen Serenity was a lot like her daughter is, when she wasn't being serious." Makoto moved over to a stool Kasumi had brought in for her to sit on during their times spent making dinner. As she sat down, she was treated to a display of Ranma's uncanny speed as he found all the dishes he was looking for.

"That seems right, Usagi does seem to be able to flip the switch when she needs to. You mind hamburgers? They're not a traditional dish of any sort, I know, but they're easy to fix, and I'm nowhere near the cook Kasumi is."

* * *

><p>Ranma and Makoto finished their light meal and made their way down the hall to the door of what was now their room, since the contractors had been so quick about installing everything. Nabiki had gone out of her way to make sure they knew this was needed in a typical Nerima Wrecking Crew post-disaster time frame. A few extra words from Ranma and Kasumi had seen the new rooms done in record time.<p>

"So, do we have everything?" Ranma asked as he flipped on the light to the nursery. He looked around at the room. "Did we really need this much room?"

"It does seem almost too big, doesn't it? But we'll need room to move things around later, and I suppose in case we need more space later on." Mako replied as she walked over to the crib sitting in one corner, surrounded by a dresser and a low changing table.

"It's like they built it thinking you're having twins or something." Ranma idly remarked as he wandered the room. The two looked at each other and blinked. "You don't think?"

"Well, surely Kasumi and Ami would've said something if I was, right? I mean, I didn't really pay _too_ much attention to the ultrasound pictures. I was still feeling a bit depressed at the time thinking it was just some random guy's kid." Though her response felt like the logical answer,

"I wouldn't think Kasumi would hide that from you on purpose. Unless she thought it would upset you more. Well, if it's the case, it's the case, I suppose." Ranma scratched at the back of his head. He glanced over to see Makoto's face in a panic, quickly walking over and wrapping her in an embrace. "Come on, it's not so bad."

"I'm not even ready to be a mother, let alone to twins!" Tears began to track down her face as she shook.

"Hey now, calm down. It was just a thought. I think you'd know if you were carrying around two in there, right?" Ranma asked, looking down at Mako who just looked up at him in further panic.

"How would I know?! It's not like I've been pregnant before!" Ranma frowned as Mako started to slip towards the ground, helping her sit down gently. He pulled her into his lap after he sat down, rocking her gently.

"Cry it out if ya need to. But I'm right here with you. And come Hell or high water, that's where I intend to stay. So what if it is twins? Doesn't matter to me. Our kid is our kid. The number doesn't change that." He wasn't sure if he was actually helping, but she wasn't crying any harder, so he figured he at least wasn't hurting matters any.

"You always say such nice things." Mako finally spoke after a few minutes, turning in his lap to face him.

"I guess, I just always say what's on my mind. Unless I think it's gonna get me slapped for being a perv. I got tired of being malleted. Akane didn't really believe in barehanded pervert thrashing." Ranma laughed for a moment before his head got pulled down into a long kiss. "I think you like encouraging me."

"I like when you're a perv as long as it's with me. And if the kid wasn't making me so tired all the time, I'd give you an example of just how much I like it." She rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on his chest.

"Some days I think you women are more the perverts than us guys, you know that?" Mako smiled up at him and wiggled her hips against him.

"Of course we are. We're just better at hiding it is all." Ranma rolled his eyes in response, earning him a laugh.

"Women." They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Ranma finally broke the silence. "So...think we're ready for this? We're kinda gettin near the deadline."

"If we're not, Kami help us all. At least we've got plenty of babysitters if we get overwhelmed."

* * *

><p>Ranma sat brooding on the back porch a couple weeks later, looking up at the late morning sky. In spite of the warm weather for a fall afternoon, frost patches covered the porch around her.<p>

"Ran-chan?" Kasumi's soft voice came from behind the small redhead as she walked over and set down a tray with two teacups on it before seating herself next to Ranma.

"What's up Ka-chan?"

"I think that's my line. You're on edge, even more than usual." Even Kasumi's usually unflappable manner was disturbed. Ranma sitting on the back porch and thinking was nothing new. Ranma making an effort to freeze over the porch in warm weather was definitely not normal, however.

"I'm wondering when the next attack is coming. I sincerely doubt we've seen the last of Voidling, considering what all she said, and the extent to which they went to try and get me and Makoto. The closer we get to Mako going into labor, the more worried I am." Ranma frowned, as her mind kept racing over the possibilities.

"You're worried they're going to attack while she's birthing." Kasumi frowned. Leave it to Ranma to look at it all from a fighting point of view.

"Yep."

"What can you do to prevent it?"

"Not a damned thing, considering they can apparently open portals just about anywhere."

"I don't think they can. Every portal they've opened has been in a fairly large space. The park, the mall, even before that they never opened one in a smaller space."

"I'm still not ruling it out. It's possible they can't do it, but it's just as possible that they just haven't." Ranma struck down at the porch in frustration, shattering a board without thinking. Kasumi sighed, reaching out and pulling his hand back up out of the impromptu hole.

"Beating up our porch isn't going to help you any. You'll just have to fix the board later. You should go sit with Makoto a while, take your mind off of things. You should be spending more time with her right now anyway, you won't have much later." Kasumi smiled as Ranma grew less tense. After a moment, the redhead finally blew out a breath.

"Sorry, Kasumi. Guess I'm just too much of a protector for my own good." She reached up behind her head, fiddling with her ponytail in embarassment for a few seconds before Kasumi pushed a teacup at her. "Doesn't help that honestly, I'm just really cranky today for some reason."

"Period, perhaps?" Kasumi frowned as Ranma shook her head.

"I don't think so. None of the usual that goes with that, other than I'm just feelin cranky. Like the house is off balance or something. That and my chest is feeling..." Ranma stopped, her cheeks highlighting with a light blush. After a moment she snorted in amusement. "Okay, why am I suddenly feeling embarassed talking to you of all people? My chest feels heavier than usual, and they're sensitive as hell. I couldn't even get a bra on today, it was that uncomfortable."

"I have a theory why that might be, but I'm not certain if you're going to like it. But it would make sense with how much our family picks up on auras. And you've always been a bit more empathic in female form." Kasumi's brow furrowed the more she thought on it.

"I get the feeling I'm about to learn even more about female physiology that no normal guy would ever worry about." Ranma dropped her head in her hands. She looked back up a moment later, smiling. "All right, hit me."

"I think you're picking up on Mako's condition and your female form at least is altering just a little to match. Like I said, with how we pick up on auras, and your female form being more responsive to that, it's likely that you've just done so even more than is normal. Akane, Nabiki, and I used to run on the same timer for our periods, it's a lot alike. Just living in the same household can sometimes be enough to synchronize women supposedly. There's no concrete proof in studies that it happens, but many claims."

"So...my female form is trying to...do what exactly?" Ranma's face was in a frown as she tried to figure out what exactly Kasumi was getting at.

"Preparing to nurse. More than likely you're just going to be sensitive for a day or two while your body figures out you aren't the one having a kid." Kasumi barely suppressed a giggle as Ranma's face went as red as her hair, her expression freaked out. After a moment she calmed back down, though the blush remained.

"That is _so_ not what I was expecting. But okay, I can see the logic in it. Stupid magic body."

"It's not very common, but then, you were never one for being normal in any fashion. We'll just have to expand your bra selection for a little while I guess."

"I feel like I just missed a joke in there somewhere." Ranma muttered as Kasumi got up and walked away from the porch with their teacups and the tray. After rolling back and then flipping to her feet, Ranma looked up at the sky, musing to herself again. "Don't know why I don't just default to talking to Kasumi, I always feel better."

* * *

><p>Ranma walked down the hall a short bit later, having decided to switch back to being male for a while, smiling now that he had talked to Kasumi. He walked in to find Makoto up and walking around, checking over everything in the nursery. "I don't think you can really make any more sure of this place, Mako. You've already checked it over ten or twelve times. She smiled brightly as she turned to face him, her face quickly turning to a grimace.<p>

"Oh my, oh my, oh hell!" Makoto muttered as she bent over for a moment, both hands at her stomach.

"Should I be worried?" Ranma asked as he helped her to a chair.

"Worried? No. Finding Kasumi? I think so, yes." Makoto frowned as her body relaxed.

"So you think-"

"No, I'm actually really sure right now, so Kasumi is probably a really good idea." Ranma disappeared through the door to their room almost instantly. He came back in a moment later, Kasumi stepping in a few seconds after.

"Is it time?" Kasumi asked as she knelt down, placing a hand on Mako's belly just in time to feel her tense up in another contraction. "Oh my. I would say so. You didn't say anything about feeling them before now, how long have these been going on?"

"I was uncomfortable a lot last night, but I thought it was just one of those random sleepless nights. I think I missed my warning signs." Makoto smiled ruefully as she looked up at Kasumi.

"It's alright. Ranma, get her to the clinic, I'll phone ahead and let Tofu know you're on your way."

"Wouldn't it be better to call a cab or something?" Ranma asked as Kasumi walked over to the corner of the room and picked up a small luggage bag that he hadn't paid attention to before.

"Do you really think a cab is going to beat you to the clinic? I know you can be gentle enough with landings to hop her across the roofs without jarring her around. Now get her there." Kasumi's face turned stern as she pointed out the door. Ranma quickly picked up Makoto and made his way out the door, heading straight for the back porch where he disappeared from the ground view. Kasumi smiled as she walked back out of the bedroom, pulling her cellphone out of the pocket in her apron. "Well, it's about time. I was beginning to think she was gonna try to carry them forever."

* * *

><p>Apologies again for the delay folks. Hope it was worth your time. :)<p> 


	9. Uncertain Resolutions

** Ch.09**

**Uncertain Resolutions**

_Flames on the surface  
><em>_Fiery tempest held within  
><em>_Smiling child, graced with beauty  
><em>_Answering troubles with feral grin_

Ranma couldn't help but smile as he looked around the delivery room at the clinic. Normally the clinic made him a touch nervous, but this time it seemed to calm him. Even the constant beeping of the few machines they had strapped Makoto to wasn't bothering him.

"And to think, Nabiki thought Doc was nuts for putting in a delivery room with the hospital so close by." He couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled the argument, since Nabiki helped run all the finances in the house. Both Kasumi and Tofu had put their foot down and thrown out every piece of advice Nabiki had against it, resulting in the younger Tendo being quite vexed with them for almost a month.

"I'm beginning to think you're enjoying this." Mako muttered irritably from her bed, as Ranma continued to smile at her through her pains. She was comfortable for the time being, but was getting used enough to the contractions that she could almost time them without thinking.

"Not really, I'm just happy for you. Looking forward to when you'll be able to be comfortable again."

"You're carrying the next one. I don't know how yet, but you're definitely carrying the next one." Ranma's face instantly took on a worried look.

"Please tell me you're kidding." Ranma panicked slightly as it occurred to him that he was probably the one guy that threat could be actually used against. As he knelt down and gave Mako a short kiss, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him down a moment.

"Nope, not kidding. I'll figure out a way. Or I'll have Ami figure out a way." Ranma looked up at the doorway in time to see Kasumi walk in, dressed in full medical scrubs.

"Let's see how close you are to the main event, shall we?" The cheerful remark from Kasumi seemed almost out of place to Ranma.

"I don't suppose we can just skip to the finish?" Mako asked, earning a chuckle from Kasumi as she disappeared from Mako's view on the other side of her belly. A few moments later, with several flinches from Mako as cold medical tools went to places she felt nothing cold should ever be, and Kasumi reappeared, her smile even brighter.

"Good news, you should have a fairly easy delivery. You can start pushing whenever you feel ready. I'll go let Tofu and Ami know." As Kasumi turned to leave, Ranma reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Everything _is_ okay, right, Kasumi?" Ranma's sudden serious tone confused Kasumi, until she saw him glance at the table with the sharper medical implements. Her smile returned once more.

"Those are just there in case, Ran-chan. Sometimes things don't always go the way we plan, and it's best to be prepared. But everything seems to be going just fine." His hand fell from her shoulder as he turned and walked back to the bed, sitting down on the empty portion next to Makoto.

"So tell me again why I decided to do this the normal way and without the medication?" Mako asked as she relaxed from another contraction.

"Because you said you didn't want to feel like it was just a dream, and you didn't want a scar from a c-section. Not like your Senshi powers would let you keep something so unsightly as a scar anyway," Ranma replied in a matter-of-fact tone, lifting Mako up a little bit and rubbing on her back. "Come on, you can do this. Not that you have much of an option at this point, but still."

"Easy for you to say, I feel like I wanna explode with every contraction. At least we're down to the 'fun' part. I guess," Makoto smiled in spite of her complaints, earning her a chuckle from Ranma.

"Hey, you're making it look easy. And just think, after it's all over, you can hold our kid, instead of just yelling at it to quit kicking you in the guts."

* * *

><p>"Hello, Na-chan. Yes, it's time, so get everything moved in. Yes, she's in the delivery room here at the clinic now. Yes, they're both here, so you won't have to worry about sneaking it all in to the house. Get Auntie to help you out, or get her to put Genma to use. You have quite a few hours I'd guess. Alright, love you too, Sis." Kasumi hung up the phone, turning around and smiliing at Ami. "There, takes care of getting the house ready for them."<p>

"I still can't believe you never told her she's having twins. That seems almost mean." Ami finished sorting the papers she had in her hands before getting up from the desk.

"Well, she was such a ball of nervousness for a long time there. I didn't want to send her into any more of a panic than she was already, and after that, I think it just became a matter of seeing if her or Ranma would notice. And _then_ there was that attack at the park. I'm surprised they don't seem to even suspect it. But then, Makoto has surprised me on a lot of scores. She may have just never let on that she's aware." Kasumi kept talking as they walked back towards the delivery room.

"She's always been a very natural sort of person. It probably didn't even occur to her to worry about any of it, other than what you made a point to sit down and talk to her about. She likes to rely on her instincts."

"Her and Ranma definitely share that trait." Kasumi responded, as they neared the delivery room.

"Oh! I need to send the other girls a message, let them know this is happening. I promised I would." Ami commented as she turned around to run back to the front desk.

"That's fine, Tofu's already in there, and we already rescheduled the appointments for today, so no need to rush things."

"Like that ever worked with childbirth anyway." Ami remarked over her shoulder, earning her a chuckle from Kasumi.

* * *

><p>Ranma sat for the next couple hours, amazed as he watched Makoto deal with the labor.<p>

"Oh, come on, I can _feel_ the kid slip back in just a little each time!" Mako commented in tired frustration after one particularly long push.

"That's normal, Mako, two steps forward, and one back." Kasumi replied reasonably. Makoto just growled at her. "Come on, you're already crowning, a few more good pushes and we might just have this one over with."

"So help me, I'm gonna give this kid a horrible name for making me put up with this." Mako's irritation caused Ranma to bend over and rub her shoulders, making her look up at him in appreciation. "Thank you."

"Come on, you're almost there. Just a bit more." Ranma encouraged her, offering one of his hands as she began to push once more.

"I don't feel like I'm even near done yet." Mako's off-hand comment as the contraction subsided gave Tofu and Kasumi a small laugh between them.

"You're actually doing beautifully, Miss Kino, even if you don't feel like it. Not even so much as a hiccup yet." Tofu said gently after a few more contractions. Makoto looked up at Ranma with a pleading look as Tofu concentrated on the task at hand. "Now come on, let's see if we can get one more good push out of you to get this one taken care of."

"You can't stop now, can ya?" Ranma asked gently as he placed his hands in both of Mako's, his head beside hers. "Time to meet our kid, don't ya think?"

Mako tucked her head down and gritted her teeth, trying to concentrate on anything but the pain as she felt the child move further out with each moment, the sensation of pushing seeming to last forever before she felt a loss of pressure, relaxing as Tofu and Kasumi gently pulled the small being the rest of the way out from her weary body. Kasumi's towels quickly went to work drying the child off as Makoto tried to regain her breath and energy.

"And there you go, Mako-chan. Your first little girl." Kasumi commented as she kept checking over the baby, watching Makoto's face. Her eyes welled up with tears as Kasumi set the child on her chest, small motions giving assurance to Makoto and Ranma that their newborn was well and alive. A single small wail echoed through the room as their daughter made her presence known, a small smile seeming to appear on the little one's face.

"Well then, that's one down," Kasumi said to herself as she suctioned small bits of fluid from the baby's mouth and nose. She reached up and patted Mako's shoulder, looking her directly in the eyes. "Take a few minutes to rest before you work on number two, okay?"

"Wait, what?" Ranma spoke first. Makoto's face went blank for a moment as Ranma attempted to pull his jaw back into place. "So she is actually having twins?"

"Of course. She'd have never been able to birth a child if it were just one making her stomach as big as it was. I don't think I'd want to even have thought about that." Kasumi said plainly as she walked back down to the end of the bed. "You should have been able to tell from looking at her aura, Ranma. She might not have been able to tell for certain either, but I'm pretty sure she had a suspicion."

"That's why you panicked so hard earlier when I said that, wasn't it?" Ranma asked, looking down at Makoto. She had her eyes closed for a moment, her hands holding her first child.

"Emiko." Makoto finally remarked, catching Ranma off guard, though he was quick to catch on. She softly ran her fingertips over the small patch of black hair on the baby's head. "This one is Emiko."

"Alright, let's get Emiko over to Ami so she can get her weighed and measured, and let's see about getting her sibling out to meet us too, shall we?" Kasumi smiled to she gently picked up the newborn after a few minutes, gingerly handing her over to Ami. The blue-haired girl carefully moved over to the side of the room with the first-born. "Just start working on this one the same as you did with Emiko. Whenever you're ready. And don't worry, the second one is always easier in a twin birth."

"Sometimes I _really_ wish I wasn't right about my suspicions." Makoto groaned as Kasumi continued to smile at her. She didn't have to wait long as her body seemed intent on getting the second child out in quick order. Ranma frowned as he could feel the weariness in Makoto as she began pushing once again.

"Just a little longer, Mako-chan." He spoke quietly in her ear as she relaxed. She smiled up at him in spite of her exhaustion.

"I know, I'm just so tired." She looked down again at her belly, and very gently patted at it. "Come on number two, let's get this show on the road, 'kay?" Ranma forced himself to supress a chuckle as Mako's joke was quickly answered with another contraction.

"Oh my, this one will be quick. You made a lot of progress with that push." Kasumi remarked from the foot of the bed excitedly. Ranma patted Mako's arms before setting his hands back in her's.

"You heard her, just a little more." He spoke excitedly, just as eager to get the ordeal over with as he figured she was. He was tired of seeing her in pain.

"I'm working on it!" She exclaimed in frustration. Her grip on Ranma's hands intensified as her womb tightened up once more. She let out a yell of frustration as she relaxed a minute later. "Come ooooon!"

"Calm down, Mako. It's no different from the first. I know you're tired, but you can do it." Ranma's words had the desired effect as Makoto let herself lean back against him.

"I just want this part to be over with." She replied after a moment.

"I know. I want it to be over with too. But you can only do so much at one time. Don't try so hard to force it. You just wanna push the kid out, not launch it at Tofu and Kasumi." Ranma grinned as he got a small smile out of Makoto.

"I'm punching you for that later." Her smile didn't fade this time as another contraction hit, forcing her to stop talking as she concentrated. Ranma could tell from watching Tofu and Kasumi's faces that this one was just about at an end.

"Keep pushing, Mako, alllllmost...and there, done!" Kasumi exclaimed. Makoto relaxed finally, leaning back against Ranma who wiped off her forehead and kissed her soundly.

"Beautiful." He commented as he leaned back, watching as Kasumi toweled the mess off of the second child. This one wasted no time in screaming it's defiance at the bright world it had been thrust into.

"Good lungs on this one. And Ranma's family showing through in the hair once again. She's gonna be your rough one of the two I bet," Tofu commented as he reeled back slightly from the sudden wail in one of his ears. Kasumi repeated her earlier actions, bringing the child up to rest on Makoto as she finished cleaning it off. Ranma resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands as he noticed the touch of red hair on the child's head that had prompted Tofu's comment.

"Kokoro. That's who you are little one." Mako said as she held her second child. Kasumi had brought Emiko back over to Ranma, who held her down close to her mother and sister. He found himself blinking a moment later as a flash went off from Kasumi's hastily acquired camera.

"And that is going to be one for the photo album I'm thinking." Kasumi chirped happily as she put the camera back down. Mako fussed a little but finally relenquished Kokoro over to Kasumi so she could get the measurements done. Meanwhile, Ranma handed their first daughter back to her, smiling happily as he watched Makoto's weariness turn to joy the longer she held either of the girls. It did take all of his willpower not to panic and turn around when Makoto unthinkingly moved her cover off of her chest and lifted Emiko up to breastfeed. A momentary look of frustration passed over Mako's face as first Emiko did nothing, but it was quickly wiped away as she latched on and started feeding hungrily.

"Well, I _was_ getting ready to ask if you'd bothered to think about that matter, but it looks like you're a step ahead of me for once," Kasumi mentioned as she brought Kokoro back over. "Now for the fun part, see if you can manage to feed them both at once."

"I don't think I'm _that_ talented! It's probably just gonna have to be one at a time." Mako replied, laughing lightly. She switched kids with Ranma a few minutes later as Emiko apparently had her fill. Kasumi smiled to herself as she watched them. She mentally frowned for a moment after realizing that there was, of course, still clean-up to do. She brightened considerably as she remembered that with Ami helping it should be easily done in half the time the last few births had taken.

* * *

><p>Nabiki huffed for a moment as she fussed over where to put everything in the nursery.<p>

"I'm really not sure why Kasumi left this to me of all people, it's not like I'm a mother."

"I think she suspected I'd spill the beans, and I fear she's probably correct," Nodoka commented from behind Nabiki as she and Genma carried in the second crib. "Although I'm also curious how Kasumi knew, but apparently my child and Miss Kino didn't."

"Simply put, Ranma wasn't paying any attention to it, near as we can tell. As for Makoto, I'm really not sure if she knew or not. She's very open, but seems to just shrug some things off as unimportant."

"A lot like my child then." Nodoka commented as she waved Genma out with a flip of the hand, smiling as he looked thankful to get away from the manual labor.

"When did he stop being your manly son?" Nabiki asked after a few moments of silence while the two of them assembled the various pieces of furniture.

"About the same time I realized I don't have a son anymore. I mean, I do, but I don't. My child is just as much a daughter as a son, at least to me, so to call him by either feels as if I'm shoving aside the other aspect. For someone as well balanced as he is, I feel I would be disrespecting his strides at maintaining that balance." Nodoka smiled as she finished up the second crib, testing it's sturdiness. Nabiki blinked as she realized just how fast Nodoka had done so.

"So, why exactly did Genma take Ranma _away_ from you for that training trip?"

"Because my husband's an idiot." Nodoka's quick answer caused a smirk from Nabiki, even as Nodoka smiled herself. "And I was just as much of one, too."

"Whatever, as Ranma likes to say, no use regretting the past."

* * *

><p>Several hours later found Ranma walking through the front door with one of the babies in his arms, followed by a weary Makoto, and then Kasumi with the other child. Tofu brought up the rear of the line. Nodoka gave in to her urge to squeal like a schoolgirl as she saw them come around the corner. Nabiki was content to just smile and stay in her chair.<p>

"Hold on a sec, Mom. Let us get everything put down before we start passing the babies around." Ranma commented as he worked on setting down the bags he had in his free hand.

"Ohhh, you're no fun. Making me wait." Nodoka's impatience was quickly wiped away by her enthusiasm. Ranma smiled after a moment as he gently handed the child from his arms to her.

"This one is Kokoro. Emiko is the other one." He turned and helped Makoto down to the couch, wincing in sympathy as she shifted several times in her attempts to get comfortable.

"Oh my, you can definitely see this one has our blood!" Nodoka enthused, looking at Kokoro's small shock of red hair.

"I'm gonna be hearing that for the rest of my life, aren't I?" Ranma mumbled to himself, smiling in spite of his grumbling.

"Ranma, come with me." Kasumi stated after she handed Emiko over to Makoto. Ranma shrugged his shoulders at Mako as she looked at him with curiosity, before following Kasumi down the hall to the nursery. He smiled as he opened the door to see the room more full than it had been prior to their leaving.

"Well then, I see someone was prepared for this. I'm guessing I owe you and Nabiki some thanks. I was a bit worried about that." Kasumi smiled as Ranma wrapped her in a hug.

"Someone has to help watch out for you. Besides, you were a bit sidetracked. Not that I blame you for that. Besides, we're still family, and family cover's each other's rears." Kasumi smiled as she stepped back from him.

"Strange how I used to wonder about that. Never really had a clue till after Pops brought me here. Now look at all this. Wonder what Akane would think." Ranma mused as he walked around the room a moment.

"I think she'd be too busy playing with the babies to care about this room. Now, I need you to try and help Makoto get any rest she can for the next few days. That was a relatively easy birth, but twins still tend to take a lot out of the mother." Kasumi looked at Ranma, making sure she had his attention. "She's probably going to surprise me again, but I want you to keep a close eye on her, and try to keep her from worrying too much over the girls. Nodoka and I can help watch them too, if it comes down to it."

"Yeah, I get ya. I'm just afraid it's gonna be a pain and a half to convince her to rest. But I'll do what I can. She's probably gonna feel like she has to feed them constantly, if nothing else." Ranma fiddled with the base of his ponytail, frowning slightly.

"Well, the first few days she'll feel like that. But they'll slow down eventually. Now, I need to go get dinner ready, as late as it is. You make sure to pamper her as much as you can so she can heal." Ranma nodded as Kasumi walked out of the room. He glanced around and smiled appreciatively before turning off the lights and heading back out to the living room to see that the majority of the Senshi had managed to show up en masse while he'd been out of the room.

"Welcome, ladies. Anyone need any drinks?" Ranma asked as he stepped out from the hall, smirking as he realized his words had fallen on deaf ears. The girls were all concentrated on the babies, except for Setsuna who leaned against the opposite wall. She gave a warm smile as Ranma walked over to lean against the wall next to her. "So, decided to stay out of the mob there?"

"I've seen several thousand babies over the years. At that age they tend to look very similar. I'll have plenty of time to see them later. How are you and Makoto?" Setsuna replied.

"I'm fine for now, will be for a day or two if necessary, although Doc will probably tear a strip off of me if I collapse again. Makoto on the other hand is tired, but she's being stubborn. Managed to convince her to take a small nap at the clinic, but that's been about it. Once the girls are gone for the night I'll see if I can convince her to get some more sleep."

"I see. More thoughtful than I'd counted on once again." The all-knowing smile slowly appeared on Setsuna's face as they spoke.

"Nah, that's mostly Kasumi." Ranma waved a hand dismissively.

"I don't think nearly as much of your kindness is Kasumi as you'd like others to think." Setsuna's smile never moved, unnerving Ranma a little. Sometimes she made him wonder just how much she actually _did_ know. At least she was on his side of everything.

"Perhaps. I'm gonna go get drinks, pretty sure they're all gonna need one the way they keep talking over there." Ranma turned the corner just in time for Kasumi to come through the door with a tray of drinks, barely managing to avoid bumping into her. It was a testament to Kasumi's control that only one glass spilled any water at all, but still enough to splash Ranma and trigger the transformation. Ranma sighed as she shook herself slightly, smiling ruefully. "Ya know, I can tell where everyone is in the house at all times, and I know you can too. So how do we manage to do this?'

"Kami decided you needed to have boobs tonite, I guess. Now go dry off." Kasumi smiled as she continued into the living room. Ranma walked down the hall to the bedroom, muttering under her breath.

* * *

><p>"Oh my gosh, the hair on that one, it's so bright! So cute!" Usagi squealed as she got her first good look at Kokoro. "Is it going to stay like that?"<p>

"As far as I know, yes, her hair color will stay like that. Or it may change as she gets older. Mine certainly went closer to red as I got older, but it was a much darker brown when I was little." Mako answered, smiling as she watched the all the girls around her. She was silently thankful as the other Senshi fussed over the babies, giving her a chance to sit and relax. As the rabble continued on for a small while, she began to realize she was missing someone. "Kasumi?"

"Yes, Makoto?"

"Where's Ranma?"

"Hmmm. He got splashed a little bit ago and went to dry off I thought. I'll go check on him."

Kasumi worried slightly as she approached Ranma's room. Her own thoughts were thrown out of order for a moment as she felt confusion from inside the room. Knocking lightly before letting herself in, she found Ranma staring at several of her dress-shirts before looking at the mirror and back at the shirts.

"Ranma? Is something wrong?" Kasumi asked as she moved closer.

"Yeah...but I don't know what exactly."

"Then why the pile of shirts?"

"Oh, I was trying to decide which one I wanted to wear. But they're all really snug in the bust right now. Like, _really_ snug. Worse than last night. Then I got sidetracked trying to pin down what it is that feels so off right now."

"Do I need to adjust them?" Kasumi focused on the one problem she knew she could fix immediately if she needed to.

"No, I think my breasts need to adjust back down to normal size. Seriously, these things have never felt so heavy. And they were starting to hurt from how tight my shirt was before I got it off." Ranma's exasperated sigh as she cupped her chest in both hands worried Kasumi enough to step over and look closer.

"Looks like I was right. Good thing I've had you both on the same diet. Your female form must have connected quickly with Makoto. I recall you were doing that with Akane's periods for the last several months as well once you two stopped fighting, no matter how long you were actually in female form." Kasumi pursed her lips for a moment as she mulled the facts over, more and more sure what she was dealing with.

"So in other words, I'm doomed."

"Well, I'm not sure I would look at it as being quite _that_ bad, but it appears you are pretty much stuck with dealing with a lot of the same changes she is. Makes me wonder if you would have felt her contractions had you been female at the time." Kasumi stood back up straight and walked over to a dresser that Ranma was pretty sure contained only Makoto's clothes. "Here, I picked up a couple of spares just in case of this, after our conversation last night."

"Nursing bras? I didn't even realize they _make_ such a thing. Or why I'd want one." Ranma commented as she was handed the new garment.

"It will be more comfortable for you whether you nurse or not. And don't let Nodoka hear you say that or she will drag you down to the lingerie store for a proper education." Kasumi's quip had it's desired effect of getting a giggle out of Ranma. She stepped forward and wrapped the smaller girl in a hug. She was caught off-guard as she heard sniffles lightly in the quiet room.

"I can't help but think that this shouldn't be happening to me, Kasumi. Is that wrong?"

"It's not wrong. It's just a natural fear I would think for someone thrust into your position. But what exactly are you scared of? Are you scared of being both a mother and a father? Just scared to be a little more 'womanly' than you originally thought you'd ever be? Is that just a little of the old Ranma showing through? Or is it just the fear of being a new parent?" Kasumi asked, stepping back and leading Ranma over to the edge of the bed where she sat down heavily.

"I'm scared of being _me_ anymore, Kasumi. I'm a real unknown in our world. As far as I know I'm the only one in recent history to fall prey to a gender changing curse, other than Herb, and he doesn't really count since his society is so blasted weird. It was so easy before, just being a guy who happened to grow boobs on occasion with a good splash. I never made it anywhere far enough with Akane to even think this far ahead." Ranma buried her head in her hands. "What's appropriate now? Do I try to remain a father to these kids? Do I try to just be a second mother? Something in the middle? Do I even know enough to be either one?"

"Back up and slow down, Ranma. Think for a few moments. What _do_ you know about being a parent?"

"Not a damned thing?" Ranma responded glumly. Kasumi watched as muscles seemed to randomly tighten across the surface of Ranma's body, a testament to just how tightly wound the sometimes-girl was, how close to breaking her control and lash out in confusion. Kasumi remained silent, unsure of what was the 'correct' answer, or if there even _was_ one. "Let's face it Kasumi, I've gotten better, but I still barely know a damned thing about being anything close to normal. I'm great for fights, rescuing people, and decent at helping people outside of all that. Beyond that, I'm really nothing, a nobody."

"You are hardly a nobody. What is it that you do best, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, kneeling in front of the distressed redhead and pulling her hands down. Just like Ranma and the others had never found themselves capable of saying no to Kasumi, Kasumi couldn't stand to see them hurting mentally. The lost look in Ranma's eyes tore at her.

"Pound people who deserve it?"

"Related, but not quite what I'm talking about. What is it that you truly excel at?" Kasumi hated having to draw out the answer, but it always seemed to work best for dealing with Ranma.

"Fighting?"

"Think a little more broad." Kasumi felt a slight urge to smack herself in the forehead for taking the long way around to the answer. She quickly squashed the idea.

"...I give up?" Ranma replied, her shoulders slumping just a bit more.

"What do you do every time you run into something you've never seen before?" Kasumi could only smile, knowing how frustrating this was to Ranma.

"Adapt?" Ranma felt like she was taking shots in the dark now, wildly guessing at Kasumi's intentions.

"And what do you think being a parent is really about?"

"Knowing how to raise a kid?" Kasumi sighed and smiled.

"No, baka. It's about being quick to adapt to your children and all the surprising things they'll do to keep you on your toes. This is nothing you can't handle, Ranma. Just do what comes naturally to you. And that includes whatever you choose to do with the extra accessories that came with your curse." Kasumi waited for a few minutes as understanding slowly drug Ranma's mood back up out of the pit she had worked herself into.

"I get so worked up over the dumbest things sometimes, don't I?" Ranma smiled for the first time since Kasumi had entered the room, chuckling lightly at her own antics. She threw her arms around the taller brunette. "What would I do without you, Kasumi?"

"Good thing we don't have to find out, ne? Now get a top on, you shameless harlot, and get back out in the main room. You were gone long enough that Makoto noticed you were missing." Ranma stuck her tongue out at Kasumi as the door closed behind the elder Tendo. She then immediately looked at the garment that would have once made her cringe and run. She held it up and stared at it while grumbling under her breath.

"Alright, bra. You keep these things from making me feel like I've installed extra weights in my chest, and I won't call you a piece of crap like I do the rest of your frilly kind. Do we have a deal?"

* * *

><p>"Everything okay?" Mako asked as Ranma came out wearing a simple red blouse with a black mid-length skirt. "That's not one of your normal shirts."<p>

"No, I couldn't squeeze into those at the moment. This is one Nabiki bought me before I got my dress-shirts." Ranma's simple answer left Mako in confusion for a moment as the redhead squeezed through the throng of Senshi and sat down next to her.

"But, I thought they adjusted?"

"They do. We'll talk about it later, 'kay?" Ranma glanced around the room at the other Senshi, Mako giving her a 'oh' look before letting the subject drop. Then she grinned.

"And the skirt?"

"I honestly have no clue what made me decide to wear that instead of pants. It just felt right with the shirt, I guess." Ranma smiled as she looked around the room, checking on the babies. Kokoro was being held by Minako, and being fussed over by Usagi. No huge surprise there, Usagi seemed to go straight into hyper mode when kids were present. Michiru and Haruka had apparently had other plans already for the evening, but Hotaru had come with Setsuna, and was currently seated with Emiko. Rei and Ami were nearby as well. Ranma was startled out of her momentary distraction as Mako leaned over and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"I'm glad that's over." Mako spoke quietly, trying to make sure not to disturb the peace of the room.

"I can imagine. So, was it worth it?"

"Worth the pregnancy and the birth? Totally. I can definitely think of better ways to end up pregnant, though." The immediate frown on Mako's face worried Ranma. Not that she blamed the taller girl. Time enough to work on that after she recovered physically, after all.

"Can't change the past, now can we?"

"No, but I can't help but wish that there had been some way for me to end up here without going through that." Mako's face hardened a little more.

"What was it you said the other night? Better us than the people who can't handle it?" Ranma pulled Mako's hands down, wrapping them in her smaller fingers.

"Not in those words, but I guess that is what I was getting at, wasn't it?" Ranma relaxed as Mako's gentle smile finally came to light once more.

"It's either that, or I suck at philosophical discussions. Which may be the case, anyway, but whatever."

"Either way, I'm glad at least that they're your girls." Mako leaned her head over, giggling as she realized that her head was now on top of Ranma's.

"_Our_ girls. They're definitely not just mine. If not for you and that stubborn streak of yours, they wouldn't even be here." Ranma argued. She looked up to see Kasumi walking in with a tray laden with food. "Looks like it's dinner time, I'll bring you a plate."

"You don't need to, I can come-" Mako began to protest but was quieted by Ranma's finger on her lips.

"Stay. Be comfortable. You just got done having twins, and if what I noticed earlier was any indication, you're still gonna be really sore for a while. Rest for a few days before you start trying to be a super hero again. Give yourself that much at least, okay?" Ranma finally took her finger off of Mako's mouth as the she received a nod and a smile. Kasumi handed Ranma a couple plates as she approached the table, having already anticipated the situation. "Quit reading my mind, Kasumi."

"Quit doing what makes the most sense."

"Yeah, right. Then you'd just yell at me for that." Ranma turned to walk back to the couch, dodging around the girls who weren't currently holding babies. She handed one of the plates to Mako, setting her own on the couch for a moment and walking away. She quickly returned with two drinks, handing both of them to Mako as she picked up her own food and sat down.

"This is too peaceful." Mako blurted out after a few minutes of eating.

"I thought I was supposed to be the paranoid one?" Ranma replied after another bite.

"You might be rubbing off on me. I honestly expected them to attack while I was having the kids." Makoto frowned as she took another bite.

"Yeah, I'd said the same to Kasumi last night."

"Tonite?"

"I'm going to be a little disappointed if not. End of the week at the latest I'd say."

"I don't think I'll have my powers back that soon."

"Doesn't matter, I'll take care of it."

"You sure?"

"Definitely."

"If you say so."

Ranma blinked after a moment, stopping mid-bite. "We did not just do that."

"Do what?" Mako asked, stopping for a moment as well.

"Have an entire conversation like that."

"Yep." Mako calmly returned to eating her dinner.

"_How?_" Ranma sat for a moment, an irritated look on her face. Makoto grinned as she leaned over and planted a kiss on Ranma's cheek.

"Because I'm in your head." Ranma's irritation dissolved with the kiss, and left her confused instead.

"Well crap." Ranma finally blurted out half a minute later. Mako giggled as Ranma went back to eating her dinner.

Ranma stood up a few minutes later as she felt something odd in the air. Moving to the door into the back yard, she stopped as she opened it.

"Something wrong?" Mako asked, picking up on the sudden change in Ranma's mood.

"Youma portal in about three, two, one." Ranma counted down the seconds till the portal intruded on everyone else's senses, bringing the Senshi to their feet. Ranma held one hand out behind her and waved them back.

"Let me take care of this one. I need a good stretch anyway." Ranma's grin was feral as she flipped the mental switch to flash into her Knight form while hopping down into the yard. The sky darkened in answer to the gaping void of the portal as the youma emerged. As the large beast started to step out, lightning crashed down and surrounded Ranma, forcing everyone to avert their eyes at the bright flash. As they looked forward, Ranma stood once again clad in the silver armor pieces, though this time the outfit changed instead to a black mini-skirt similar to the rest of the Senshi. Her hair was unbraided, but tied together with the silver and green ribbons at even intervals as it fell behind her. The redhead frowned as she looked down at the skirt, fuming as she felt her hair moving against her back. She lifted the skirt to see a pair of solid black panties covering her shapely rear. "Really? I couldn't have at least kept the pants as a girl? And that is totally not the underwear I was wearing." A resigned sigh echoed across the yard as she waited for the youma to fully emerge from the portal. "Well at least I've got the legs for this. "

"Okay, which one of you is responsible for all the fashion changes in your transformations?" Nabiki asked as she quickly noted all the changes from inside the house. "Seriously, it's not that it looks bad, but come on, even Ranma has more logical sense than that for combat wear. I mean, that's not _quite_ a fuku, but damn it's close."

"At least she looks good in it." Minako piped up.

* * *

><p>This youma wasted no time charging forward to meet Ranma head-on, stopping in confusion as it met with empty air.<p>

"Hey, bone head, may wanna check where you're aiming." Ranma stood on top of the outer wall of the Tendo home, behind the creature. She glanced over it, noticing that it was as big as the larger ones had been before, but was hunched over, more bestial. Humanoid still, but definitely more beast than man in this one. The claws that they had all been equipped with were still present however, in spite of the change in the creature's design. A small hop landed Ranma next to the wall, grinning as the creature immediately took off full-sprint towards her. "Too easy."

A quick leap upwards took her out of the creature's path, causing it to go crashing through the wall that had been behind her. She smirked as the dust settled, landing softly.

"All right, time to see just how much of an impact I can make in you." The smirk turned back into the grin as Ranma blurred into motion.

* * *

><p>"Something's different tonite." Tofu noted from behind Kasumi. The Senshi had gathered at the doorway to watch, in case something happened, leaving the babies with Makoto who was still seated on the couch, and with Kasumi who stood in the doorway to the kitchen.<p>

"It's Ranma."

"Not just that. He was able to sense the portal before it even started to open. And that creature out there, no ki from it, at all. On top of that, watch Ranma. He's not toying with this creature at all. He's systematically dismantling it, one limb at a time." Kasumi narrowed her eyes, watching as she realized Tofu was right. Ranma would wait for the creature to lash out, dodging around the attacking limb and twisting to swing all the energy from the movement into a devastating punch or kick, leaving the limb shattered and useless.

"But it's healing the limbs anyway." Kasumi brought her free hand up to her chin for a moment, her brow furrowing as she puzzled through it all.

"Yes, but he's broken that arm three times now. It's healing noticeably slower each time. I think somehow Ranma's done it again. He's instinctively adapted to his new abilities, and is already using them in fashions he doesn't even realize. Now he's just testing how much he has to break before these creatures can't regenerate. Or at least I think that's what he's doing."

* * *

><p>Ranma frowned as the creature kept healing broken limbs.<p>

"Ugh, seriously, how many times can you do that? Or do I just have to break all of you at once to keep you down?" She hopped back as the creature stopped to heal a leg that Ranma had shattered just as a stalling maneuver. A quick Mouko Takabisha flew from her hands, but impacted on an energy shield. Ranma growled as the shield appeared, wondering if there was something specific about the blue hexagon patterns she noticed. "Okay, so you've got some sort of barrier against ki attacks. So why just ki? Why not use that to stop my physical attacks? They should be the same basic energy."

A little bit of concentration left her with a hand full of lightning which she threw in the creature's face, grinning as it exploded in a shower of burnt flesh.

"Oh, good. So you're immune to my ki attacks, but not the magic. Good thing I've gotten better with that here lately." The air began to crackle as Ranma began forcing as much energy as she could into the air around her hands. She blinked as she remembered her katana, reaching around to her back and pulling it from it's sheath at her belt. All the energy she had worked up immediately focused on the razor sharp edge of the blade, leaving a glowing line in the air behind it's movements. She looked up in the regenerating face of the creature, an almost sadistic smile on her face. The youma backed up slowly. "Ooooh, lightsaber. Didn't know I could do that. So, how much energy do you think there actually _is_ in that edge right now?"

* * *

><p>"You feel it now?" Tofu asked, more and more agitated as the one-sided fight calmed down for a moment.<p>

"I do. I've never felt that from Ranma. Even in her less controlled moments, nothing close to such an angry force."

"It's not just anger. If it was just that, Ranma would have already just blasted that thing into bits with the force she's throwing around and it would've been over. It's something more."

"Wait...no, I think I know what it is." Kasumi sighed as she heard an explosion from the backyard, looking up to see a limb completely severed where Ranma had finally struck out at the creature. "It's Ranma trying to balance out again."

"Come again, dear?" Tofu winced as he watched Ranma fly back from a sudden strike, impacting with the compound wall.

"Remember how his female form started lining up with Akane after they started getting along?" Tofu nodded at his wife, still watching out the open back door as Ranma flipped back to her feet from the wall, slowly walking back towards the apprehensive youma.

"As I recall he accused Akane of poisoning him the first time they had their time together. He's done the same with his new lady?" He grinned as he remembered that episode. Baka was one of the nicer things Akane had called him.

"Yes. Except it's gone a step further, and has mirrored her current condition."

"And knowing Ranma like we do, it's stepped him over into mental territory he may or may not have been ready to accept." Tofu frowned. He didn't like where this was going.

"Yes. I thought he was accepting it, with the way she came back out dressed tonite. If what we're feeling is any indication, he's still fighting it subconciously. It feels like a mother's protective instinct, and it's being crossed with his usual confidence."

"Dangerous combination. A mother who's protecting her young and _knows_ she can destroy you at any point in time."

"Yes. At least I think that's what it is."

"You've always been better at pinning down specific emotions. It's making me uncomfortable, that's all I know. And Ranma has _never_ put out an aura that's unsettled me before."

"I'm not worried about the aura. It's disquieting, yes, but I don't think that's a real cause for worry. That should change as soon as the creature's gone. I'm worried about Ranma once this fight is over and his concentration is broken."

"You're worried that once he's not fighting, he'll go back to thinking about it." Kasumi nodded. "I'll leave that to you then. You're far better at dealing with him than I am."

"Of course, I'm a woman after all." Kasumi flashed Tofu a playful grin.

"Are you sure that's what he needs?"

"No, but I do know he reacts better to me than he does to you, because of the conditioning of his idiot father."

"True enough. Watch it, looks like the party's about to end out there. Ranma's mood just shifted."

* * *

><p>"Alright. I think I've figured out enough about you. That shield of yours only works against my ki, but doesn't work against physical attacks, and won't block magic either. Don't know what dimension you got pulled from, but I hope for your sake she sends any of you she has left back to your home." Ranma stood firmly in front of the now bleeding and broken creature, eyes closed for a moment as she breathed in deeply before slowly exhaling. She opened her eyes once more, all of the seeming playfullness draining from her face as her eyes began to exhibit their colorful shine once more. In place of the previous energy, her face showed sadness. "Last warning. Go back to where you came from, or you're dust. Even an animal like you can understand how little of a chance you have here."<p>

The creature roared it's inhuman defiance, a hellish scream that was cut short as Ranma blurred. The trail of lightning on her glowing blade left an arc as it went up then came back down in one smooth motion, cleanly going through the neck of the youma and silencing it's voice.

"I had hoped perhaps she would allow you to just go back where you came from. I'm sure you didn't want to be attacking me." Ranma sighed as she cleaned her blade on the body just before it started to scatter into dust. A quick flip of her wrist and the blade slid home, catching her attention as she looked at the handle. "Oh, great, you turned red in this form, did you? Wonderful, something else to tell Mom about I guess. I wonder if you did that the first time I changed into this. Oh well."

"Amazing. My master said to expect you to break anything I send at you, but I was determined to test it anyway. It's only too bad I can't really adjust that shield they have." Ranma snapped around to find Voidling seated on an unbroken piece of the compound wall.

"You've got less than thirty seconds before I destroy you." All hints of Ranma's previous sadness was gone now, nor did her playfulness from before show again as she narrowed her eyes on the white-clad darkling.

"You say that as if you can touch me." A sneer crossed Voidling's face as she hopped down off of the wall.

"I seem to recall knocking you on your ass before. And that was when I was still _very_ new to focusing this magic I have now. Tell me, does your little cloud work when I blanket an entire area in lightning?" Ranma asked, her eyes still glowing as she let her power reside just beneath the surface.

"I made a mistake in estimating just how much power you had. Actually made that mistake twice, I'll admit. But let's not be hasty, after all, I'm not dumb enough to keep making the same mistakes. Join me-"

"Stuff it. If you're even half as smart as you claim, you _know_ there's no chance of me ever joining you." Voidling's smile broke for an instant as she was interrupted.

"But you already did." The smile returned as Voidling's voice dropped to just above a whisper.

"Do what?" Ranma reached back for the handle of her katana, preparing to snap forward with another arcing lightning attack as Voidling began to dissolve.

"You'll see." Voidling's giggle faded into the air around them as she dissipated into smoke once again.

"Well...that's just great." Ranma groused to herself as she allowed her power to settle back to regular eyes faded back to their normal unlit blue as she stood for a moment, reaching out with all of her senses for any sign that Voidling hadn't left. After finding nothing for several minutes, she began walking back towards the house.

"What was that all about?" Setsuna asked as the redhead neared the porch.

"Usual super-villain nonsense. 'Join me, rule the world, blah blah.' You know how that gets." Ranma waved her hand flippantly. "Are the kids alright?"

"They didn't even bat an eye through all that. I suspect they're going to have a very strange sense of what passes for normal. At least they will if this keeps up through their lives." Setsuna replied as the other girls scattered back into the living room at the mention of the babies. Ranma frowned as they all turned, mulling over the events in her mind, Setsuna noticing quickly. "There was more to that little chat, wasn't there?"

"Yeah. Can someone go back in time and alter thoughts?" Ranma answered, shifting back to her civilian guise. She quickly twirled in place, watching her skirt spin around. Kasumi watched from the doorway of the kitchen, unnoticed by the seemingly distracted redhead.

"No, not without you remembering them doing so. Unless you were brainwashed to forget about it." Setsuna quirked an eyebrow watching the redhead's antics, wondering for just a moment if perhaps Voidling had done something after all.

"Doesn't seem to be Voidling's strong point. Brainwashing, that is. I think she'd send someone a little more intelligent after us if she could manage that." Ranma continued to look over her skirt, holding it out from her legs.

"Don't count it out yet. Enough of these villains always try to slowly ramp things up. It's possible she's making the same mistake."

"Yeah, they do seem to do that, don't they? Are they all just afraid to go all out right off the bat?"

"Distrust, greed, pride, fear. It's always something different that drives them all." Setsuna paused to think on the matter. "You think she's up to something specific?"

"I _know_ she's up to something, and it has to do with me now. She asked me to join her, I told her to stuff it, and she told me I already did." Setsuna's eyes widened at Ranma's confession. "Yeah, confuses me too."

"That...makes no sense. They couldn't have pulled you out of time, or you wouldn't be here now."

"What about you?" Ranma arched an eyebrow.

"No, I can't do that either. It's like trying to pull from other dimensions, the moment I try I get destroyed." Ranma's eyes bugged out for a moment.

"Destroyed?"

"Yes, It's pretty much instantaneous backlash from my powers for me to tamper directly with time or the different dimensions. I'm free to watch, to guide, and to alter only minor details. The trick has been learning over the years what small details I can change that can have lasting impact."

"But I thought you could travel through time?"

"There are a lot of limitations to it. Suffice to say I've learned how to sidestep the majority of them as the years have slid by, but, I'm still bound by them in the end. It's a matter of knowing just how far I can push the limits."

"Wait...you said you can't pull from other dimensions? What if they can?"

"They can't...or they shouldn't be able to. Unless they're blatantly ignoring the rules."

"Voidling's been sending stuff at us that isn't available in our timeline. And she was clouding the Gates from you before if I remember right."

"Which is exactly why I'm concerned. I'm going to go see what I can find out. I'll let you know." Ranma nodded as Setsuna opened a portal and stepped through it, disappearing from sight as it closed around her. Kasumi chose that moment to step forward from the kitchen, handing off Kokoro to Nabiki who looked mildly irritated before looking down at the child and softening her expression.

"Ranma, come with me, please?" Kasumi asked, walking down the hell towards the nursery.

"Something up, Ka-chan?" Ranma asked as they walked back into his and Makoto's bedroom.

"Are you alright?" Kasumi asked, wondering how best to approach the matter.

"I think I'm losing my mind, but other than that I'm okay, I think," Ranma answered, looking at the floor.

"Don't try to force yourself to be something else, Ranma. That's not what I was trying to suggest to you earlier."

"I know, Kasumi. I think this is just one of those things that I'm going to be on the fence about for a good while."

"Stay back here and think about it for a while if you think it will help. Seeing the kids is only going to serve to confuse you even more, until you've pinned down your own expectations."

"Yeah. That's probably not a bad idea, honestly. Last thing I need is one of the girls trying to prod at me when I'm irritated with this. They mean well, but it's not something I really need help with, I think."

"Very well. Let me know if you need anything." Ranma waved in thanks at Kasumi as the taller girl walked out the door, slowly closing it behind her. After a moment, Ranma sat down on the edge of the bed, folding her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

* * *

><p>The Senshi went their seperate ways a short while later, leaving Makoto to completely relax finally. She smiled as she finished feeding Kokoro, picking up Emiko and starting again with the process as Kasumi took Kokoro for her.<p>

"I swear, you two are going to drain me dry if we keep up this pace." Makoto commented quietly.

"I think they'll get full faster than you'll run out." Kasumi commented as she smiled while setting a towel on her shoulder. She lifted Kokoro up and gently began patting on her back.

"So how is it you don't have any kids of your own yet anyway, Kasumi?"

"We've never felt that it was a good time to do so just yet, and apparently nature hasn't felt it to be a good idea to override my birth control."

"Could have fooled me with how you handle everything around here. You're like the culmination of what every good mother strives for."

"Oh my, I'm nowhere near that great. I just try to do my best is all. I never really have tried to do anything else, except for finally going to school."

"And you have NO idea how long it took me to finally convince her to do that. I'd been arguing with her to do that since before Ranma showed up." Nabiki commented as she walked down the stairs.

"I wanted to make sure everyone else in the family was taken care of first." Kasumi protested. Nabiki was content to merely roll her eyes while smiling in understanding.

"Where is Ranma? I haven't seen him since before the girls left." Makoto asked, now that her mind wasn't completely focused on feeding the children.

"I think he's in your room." Kasumi responded, watching as Makoto immediately got up and walked down the hall, seemingly oblivious to the child in her arm that was still feeding at her breast.

"Talk about taking to it like a duck to water," Nabiki said quietly to Kasumi as they watched her walk away.

"Well, I guess there is no worry about her feeling reserved when it comes to feeding them." Kasumi replied, laughing lightly as Kokoro noisily burped in her ear. "I take it you agree, little one."

Makoto opened the door to the room quietly, stepping in to find Ranma in a similar spot as Kasumi had found her earlier in the day, inspecting herself in the mirror sans shirt.

"Ranma?" Makoto asked quietly as she closed the door behind her.

"Oh, hey Mako." Ranma replied morosely, not bothering to turn around.

"What's wrong?" Green eyes met blue in the mirror, Makoto quickly crossing the distance of the room. "You've been back here since you came back to talk to Kasumi."

"I'm...not sure I can explain well."

"Then at least try. I'm not going to run, I'm not going to beat on you. I'm not going to try and turn you into something you don't want to be." Mako's free hand came up to pull Ranma's face around to look at her. "You've told me you'd be by my side enough times. I'll be by yours as well. You just have to let me."

"But what is it you expect me to be?" Dejection crept through, Ranma tearing her face away to look into the mirror once more at her topless form. "What kind of a father am I supposed to be when I look like this?"

"You're not supposed to be a father. You're supposed to be a parent." Makoto's firm words pulled Ranma's attention back. Confusion replaced the previous depression for a moment.

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No, it isn't. When someone calls you a father, you feel as if certain things are expected of you. Certain manly things. The same if someone calls you a mother. You expect more womanly things. But if someone calls you a parent, it gets rid of the gender. You're just someone who's taking care of their child. Or children as the case is with us." Makoto's spirited explanation finally gained enough momentum to shake her child's grasp on her breast loose, sidelining her concentration as Emiko squalled for just a moment. Ranma giggled as Makoto looked down in a slight panic, apologizing to the child. Makoto glanced up at the clock on the wall, smiling lightly. "Oh well, was about time to stop feeding her anyway, before she explodes. Here, take her while I stuff myself back in my shirt and go get a towel to burp her." Ranma smiled as she took the child, carefully holding her as Makoto made good on her word, closing her shirt and walking out down the hallway. She made it out to the living room, intending to bring Kokoro back with her, getting near Kasumi before she was stopped.

"Heeeeeeeelp!" Kasumi and Makoto both looked at each other with wide eyes hearing Ranma's slightly distressed yell from the bedroom. Mako quickly grabbed a spare towel as Kasumi stood up and followed her with Kokoro. They rounded the corner to find Ranma with Emiko having latched onto her breast, and a thoroughly freaked out look on the redhead's face. Both girls tried to contain their chuckles. "Quit laughing, this is freaking weird even for me!" Neither normal girl could contain themselves as they burst out laughing finally. Kasumi was the first to recover.

"Well, I see you figured out how those work," Kasumi quipped, earning her a glare from a certain redhead.

"I was just holding her, and next thing I know she twists just a little and bam, she's latched on like a suction cup! That's what I get for forgetting I was topless for a moment."

"Welcome to what I've been dealing with since they came out." Makoto finally got her breath back, wincing as sore muscles complained about the extended bout of mirth. "Oh jeez, a laugh like that feels good, but owwwww."

"Well, what do you think of them now, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, wondering to herself if she should maybe get a picture of this for them to laugh at later.

"I think this one got Pops' appetite. She was already feeding when Mako came back, and she's still going."

"Sometimes they're like that. Kokoro was apparently full before. But they weren't what I was talking about." Kasumi's reference brought a full blush to Ranma's face, in spite of having not been bothered before.

"It's...hard to explain. I feel..." Ranma stopped, a wide smile on her face as she looked down at Emiko as the newborn stopped feeding, opening her eyes for a moment to look directly up into Ranma's own. "Yes...I think...I feel like this happened for a reason. Makoto was right. I'm not a mother. I'm not a father. I'm a parent. It doesn't matter which gender I am. Just like it didn't change who I am to begin with. And a baka be me, for not realizing that any sooner."

Kasumi smiled as she felt Ranma's aura balance back out as she spoke. "_Good, perhaps she needed this more than I thought possible. The final push to achieve true balance, as it were._"

AN: TY readers for sticking it out and being patient. My apologies, as this chapter just REFUSED to write itself out for the longest time, even though I had a good idea of where it was going. So aggravating.


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